Aberrazione di Mors
by MissEccentricWriter
Summary: A Collaboration! When two souls rest in one body, only one may dominate and win sentient, thus was the problem for Kyoko and Haru whose bodies possessed not only their souls, but another during their youth; Alice and Anna both lost their lives before they could truly live them. With their new lives and connections to the world of Mafioso, what sort of trouble could possibly happen?
1. Aberrazione Di Mors

Chapter 1

Into the Hands of Mors

The plane had just taken off, leaving me uneasy and clenching the arms of my seat. This was my first ride in the sky, but according to my mother my first plane ride was as a baby to Disney World, though I don't count it since I was a _baby_. I didn't dare look out the window beside me, instead I'd be distracting myself with my book. And if worse came to worse I had some sleeping pills my friend gave me from when she was on her last trip.

Reaching into my carry on bag I took out a small book a bit bigger than my hand, the cover reading: _"__From American to Japanese."_ I barely knew my own native tongue of Spanish, having learned my Freshmen year, so I didn't see how I was expected to learn a whole new and even more complicated language in so little time. My uncle for once, in a very long time, was irritating me to no end.

He gets a new job, a promotion really, and he suddenly whisked us off to Japan with little to no notice! He had even said himself that he was most likely not to get the job, that he didn't really want it since it'd mess up his current routine; we had enough money coming in from his job at the time as a journalist. When he came home so happy, and we celebrated with a smorgysmore of everything we had in the refrigerator, it was not to last. How could he think I would casually agree to move millions of miles away to a whole other continent?...Okay I am no good at geography, you're reading as a geographically challenged person over here. laugh all you like I take no insult but join in. I just knew that I wouldn't be able to see my friends or other family members.

There was a horrid yelling fight between us, I'm shameful to admit I was screaming like an unruly teenager and that my words slurred together. The next few days were of us packing my stuff- this had to be thought over thoroughly for my carry on and main necessities since our other stuff wouldn't arrive until a week after our move in. I gave my dearest uncle the coldest of shoulders I could give - I even broke my record of two days doing it! All my friends also gave me their angered and teary-eyed goodbyes, giving me gifts and presents. many of which were in my carry-on currently. This book was actually a gift from one of my closest comrades who had also given me the pills, it was doing the trick too, I already knew how to greet people in Japanese, but it'd be a long while until I fluent enough.

Having never been on a plane before I was very nervous, looking all around to make sure everything was ok. Sliding up the shutter of my window I cautiously scanned over the sky, then promptly slammed it down, slouched in my seat, and closed my eyes. _Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy._ The man beside me must have thought me a weirdo - he didn't even care to ask me if I was alright. If we were to crash and get stranded I hoped he would get eaten first…...Nevermind that thought. _God, don't take me seriously. Don't let us crash._ Im not sorry for wanting the man to get eaten.

"Would you two like anything?" The stewardess leaned over the man's outside seat, smiling with her pearly white teeth. No, the man shook his head, going back to his newspaper, and I shook my head as well.

So far we had only two more hours before we landed in the Japan airport. The night spent in my chair was ok in terms of I can sleep anywhere easily, but in terms of setting, being in the sky made me have horrid nightmares, tossing and turning until I finally popped the sleeping pills. I just wanted to land and get off this thing. Back to sweet land, even if I didn't want to be on said land. I wanted to go home back to America and be with my friends, not in a foreign land where I was sure to be judged on sight.

Nothing could be worse than this change of home…..Except the freaking plane rattling! Grabbing my arm rests and sinking deeper against my seat, the overhead crackled to life.

"Don't worry everyone, we're just hitting a bit of turbulence. We should be fine soon."

.Nope. Time to start praying!

I turned to the man beside me and saw him go back to reading.

"Hey…..Do you think we're gonna be okay?"

He looked to me with his adult eyes, as if he couldn't stand me and my stupid question. "Of course, we don't pay these people to kill us."

I laughed weakly and nervously realizing I had paid for my own death trip. My fingers reached under my sweater collar and pulling out the jade cross I always wore. My uncle had given me this a few days after my father died. He said it had been blessed. I told him I'd keep it though I hardly believed in our church's words, but it was better than nothing, and I needed something to keep me calm.

Another rattle made me gasp as the lights flickered. The other passengers gasped, a baby cried, a few kids screamed, the pilot tried to calm us with his words on the overhead. My concentration went to the vibration in my left pocket, reaching a hand in it to pull out my cellphone. _One New text. _

_From: Uncle bro_

_Hope you're doing ok. See u at the airport. Alrdy landed. Still sorry. Buy u food. 3 XoOOxXo_

Damn him and knowing how to make me feel better. The plane shook erratically now, my mind still on the message. They say when you're about to die the world slows down. they say when you meet the one you're meant to be with that time slows. I can't say if everything about this is true, but time did slow down. Everyone blurred together. The only thing keeping up to normal speed was the pilot's voice.

"We're crashing…...Crashing….-Don't panic!...Everything will be ok…"

My phone vibrated again, but this time it was a call. My uncle was calling me. To tell me he was still so sorry. That he'd buy me a bunch of food to make up for it. He knows I don't like Asian food. But he'll buy me sweets. I have to get used to the cuisine. I'll love our new big house, and enjoy being the new girl from America, he'll say.

I tried to answer but everything was shaking uncontrollably. _I'm sorry!_ Tears poured down my cheeks, burning my terrified face. I could feel the vertigo as the plane lost altitude, dropping down into a nose dive for who knew where.

_I'm sorry! I don't want to die! God! Jesus! Someone! Any God! Let me live! I don't want to die this way.! There's too many regrets! There wasn't enough time….._

* * *

_I remember the day before I left…. My friend who had given me the sleeping pills and language book had come over to see my now barren room - only my old mattress being left behind in trade for a newer one. She had sat on the bed with me, elbows on her knees, chin in her hands, staring up at me from an angle._

"_Japan isn't bad, I'd want to live in Japan."_

"_I would too, but just not now…. I wanna stay here until college."_

"_That's not far off. Stop your moping." She was comforting me, but I wasn't going to change my mood so easily as I usually did._

"_I'll send you cool stuff from Japan." I changed the subject._

"_Send me Mochi and Pockys." She grinned, easing the mood._

"_Thats so stereotypical." I laughed, but truth be told, I'd get those first anyways._

_We sat in silence for a while longer, she scanning over my walls, me fiddling with my necklace. There was loud honking outside and we both knew who it was. She got up and sighed, climbing on her knees to the window behind us. She yelled out in Spanish to her mother, then climbed off the bed._

"_I have to go, she came early, I'll….I'll…." Her words drifted into nothingness. She instead reached into her bookbag by the bed, threw a book onto my lap, then pulled the bag over her shoulder. "That'll come in handy. I know you suck at learning languages, so I got you the most basic book there…."_

_I pressed my fingers all over the smooth paperback enjoying the texture. I flipped a few pages open as well, taking a whiff of it's new, clean, undented pages. The stinging of tears at my eyes was why I didn't dare look up at her, but by my sniffling and tried-to-be-discreet wipe of my eyes I knew she was aware of my emotions._

"_Thanks…..I'll be sure to study it on the plane, Alice."_

"_Text you later, Anna."_

_And that was the last time I saw her face. The last time I would see her, or anyone else I knew faces…._

* * *

Today...was a very bad day. I woke up late, couldn't turn in the homework I so painstakingly stood up half the night for, found I had flunked my test, realized I hadn't done an assignment due that day, left my binder in the previous period, and was surprised with the bill of an overdue book. Not to mention I had to walk home with a dead cell phone and a friend of a friend who I was _very _tempted to cause physical harm to the more he talked.

I slammed the door open, threw my belongings on the couch and undressed myself as quickly as I could. The exercise had made me hot and my back was cold with sweat. It didn't help that my hair was down and I could feel the strands sticking to the back of my neck. _I hate staying up late at night._ "Shower, shower." I mumbled to distract myself, making a promise to take a nap after this. I yawned, my jaw hurting before I hopped in, sighing with relief as the cool water cascaded my shoulders.

The home phone rang as I was rinsing shampoo out of my hair and I swore as I dripped water all over the tiles in order to reach the cursed device. I glanced at the caller ID and huffed before answering. "What is it?" I asked, watching the water pool around my bare feet.

"Alice, what are you doing?" I exhaled through my nose. It seems the negativity of the day had yet to dissipate.

"I was taking a shower, Lacie." I said, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"You better hurry, _Mammi's_ taking us to _Tia's_." The ten year old informed, continuing a conversation with someone else out of earshot.

"Hah? What for?"

"I don't know." I clenched my jaw to keep myself from cursing at the too high tone in her voice. "Hurry, we'll be there in five minutes."

"But I have a lot of homework!" I protested. The dial tone answered me, and I cursed as I slammed the phone into the receiver.

"Fuck it all." I snarled, pulling on my undergarments and swearing some more when I had trouble clipping my bra. With a grunt, I pulled on jeans, a hoodie, and boots, not caring that my hair drenched my back; I didn't give a shit right now.

I roughly unplugged my cell phone from it's charger, shoved it into my back pocket, snatched a random book from the bookshelf, and stomped to the front door, slamming the door behind me.

There was a series of familiar beeps from a rundown red car, and I scowled upon seeing the ten year old in the front seat. I made my way over and hopped in, using too much force to close the door.

"Someone's in a bad mood." Celia commented, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. _Fuck you._

"No shit." I replied, annoyed at how she hadn't even looked up from her cell phone to greet me. _There's a reason you're bad with interacting with others..._

"Alice!" My mother snapped, and I gritted my teeth to keep myself quiet. "What is with you?"

"Bad day." I bit out, crossing my arms and leaning back against the seat.

"You can tell." The fourteen year old muttered, and I inhaled slowly, ignoring the way my mother frowned and shook her head. I caught sight of the caramel skinned ten year old sitting on her heel to appear taller, and I couldn't help but comment, "You're not supposed to sit at the front until you're twelve."

The young girl looked over shoulder and blew a raspberry. "Motherf—"

"Alice!" I slammed my jaw shut, effectively biting my tongue. The pain distracted me for a moment, but the brunette's smirk of victory brought it back. I tightened my crossed arms, catching myself from punching the smug look from her face.

The atmosphere was heavy with tension and it was only my mother's and Lacie's chatter that filled the silence. Other than Celia's texting taps.

We parked outside of a blue two story home with palm trees in the front, and I didn't waste time to open the door and jump out.

"Alice." I stopped, feeling myself twitch in anger. "Girls, go inside, I need to talk with your sister."

"Kay~!" Lacie grinned, the spoiled brat running towards the door. Celia gave me a glance of sympathy before returning to whomever she was texting, magically arriving at the door without looking up once.

_I don't need your fucking pity. _

"Alice?" I turned, not liking the frown she was giving me. People said I resembled my mother the most, although those on my father's side said I looked like him. I didn't have the best memory, so I only had vague images of a tall man with dark hair and eyes. A friend from middle school remembers my father better than me.

So when she stared at me with eyes the same color as my own, expressing every emotion she was feeling, I wondered if my eyes were like that. Eyes are the windows to the soul, they say. And yet she was an amazing liar. _Guess we have more in common than I thought._

"Alice, what's wrong with you, you've been in a bad mood for the longest time."

"Stress." I answered. "I'm a teenager, and it doesn't help that I'm feeling all of this pressure."

She gave me a look that easily translated to, _What do _you _have to stress over? _"I understand what you're going through," _No, you don't. _I wanted to snap. "But you have to set an example for your sisters. You're the eldest." _Stop it. You've used that excuse too many times._ "Soon, they'll be copying this crazy behavior—"

"I know." I said, mainly to get her to stop.

"No, you don't." I frowned, not liking the similarity of our thoughts. "It doesn't seem like you understand."

"I understand all that you do for us." I said. "And I know that it's hard for you. But it's hard for me too. I'm not perfect. Don't expect me to be exactly what you want me to be just because I'm the oldest. I'm human too, and I need a break every once in a while."

She blinked, and I saw the confusion in her eyes. "Tch." I gritted my teeth, translating my rant as quickly as I could. "Soy humano, no soy perfecta." _I'm human, I'm not perfect._ That summarized it anyways, "Estoy tratando." _I'm trying._

She crossed her arms. "I'm going to need you to try harder."

_UGH!_ "I'm going inside." I said, turning and walking up the pathway.

I heard her grumble, "Al igual que tu padre," meaning to make it sting. _Just like your father._ And it did. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Now that was a low blow. I felt tears come into my eyes and I swallowed fiercely, increasing my pace to a jog. I gave my aunt a quick kiss on the cheek and mumbled an excuse at her polite questions. I walked towards the patio, taking all of my self control not to slam it behind me. I leaned against the glass to prevent anyone from following me, shoulders hunching. I nearly shook at the anger and embarrassment and shame, a single sentence could give me.

I inhaled deeply, bundling all of my feelings and swallowing fiercely, the tears not going away but not trailing my cheek.

I had always believed I could do this. I liked to think that I was stronger than others took me for. But this… This… _I don't think I can do this._

"What are you doing?" I jumped, cursing out loud as my head snapped towards the pool. Lacie held the pale ledge as she stared at me with large brown eyes. They were framed by long lashes, and she always hid her face in embarrassment whenever we teased her about them.

I frowned, trying to seem composed. "What are you doing in the pool?"

"Swimming." She answered, making her way to the deep end with small shuffles against the marble.

_That's not swimming… _"You're ten and you don't know how to swim." I said, intending to provoke her and distract myself.

"So?" She looked at me with a defiant look in her eyes, and I nearly laughed at the irony. What a family full of prideful women.

So I boasted. Just because I could. And because I wanted to be proud too. "Celia and I are self-taught."

"I don't care." She responded, not seeming to realize I had seen the confusion in her eyes. _Doesn't know what self-taught means..._

"Honestly, you'd think you'd already know how to swim. You've spent the entire of last summer in that pool and all you've done is cling to that ledge." I made my way over to a chair in the shade. "What are you doing in there anyways? It's not hot enough."

I watched her progress, waiting for her to answer me. She didn't. "Tch. Ungrateful brat." I leaned back and pulled out whatever book I had pulled from my bookshelf. _The hell? _It wasn't a book, but manga. _Katekyo Hitman Reborn,_ to be exact.

I sighed. I wanted to read literature, not comics. I put the volume back in the pocket of my hoodie and pulled out my cell phone. I checked my email and caught up on updates. I looked at social network feeds and quickly gave up on it as a source of entertainment. _Might as well start reading that fanfiction I've been—_

"MAMI!" I shot to my feet at the panic in her voice. I barely registered Lacie flailing in the water when I jumped in, the water cold and making my bodily functions pause. I didn't wait for my body to adjust to the temperature, merely swam towards my baby sister, finding my movements awkward and stiff due to my restricted clothing.

Arriving underneath her, I was forced to push against her midriff so she could breathe, my strength too small and her weight too large for me to pull her out. _She just needs air. She just needs air. Someone will help. They'll come soon._ She continued to flail like a frog despite the probability of death being gone. Her actions were ridiculous and annoying, and I couldn't help but think, _Stop panicking, you idiot!_

Her yells were dull on my ears, and I was aware that I was slowly sinking. I pushed and pushed, but found a weight pulling me down.

_What…?_

I knew my clothes were capable of weighing me down, but not to this extent. My legs pumped and I realized what it was.

My boots.

My damn, heavy, cumbersome, hazardous, military combat boots.

They were the death of me.

My arms strained to push the ten year old's abdomen, and I panicked whenever my fingertips left her skin.

_No! Not her! Not her! Not her! No! Not her!_

_WHERE _IS _EVERYONE?_

_They're come soon! They're coming! They're coming!_

My lungs burned and there was a pressure building against my temples. My eyes stung from the bleached water, and the sun above Lacie seemed to grow brighter.

_Come on! Come on! Save her! Save her! She's drowning!_

WHY _AM I FAILING?_

_Here they come! They're almost here! Just a little bit more!_

I exhaled when the heaviness against my chest was too much, and my ears rang at the action. I inhaled upon reflex, making the world spin and water clog my senses.

_It hurts! It hurts! Make it stop!_

I faintly heard a gurgle, and I extended my arms, my movements slow, dumb, confused.

_I have to save her! She can't die! I have to save her! She can't die!_

_COME ON! COME ON! _COME ON!

_Just a little more! Just a little more! Almost there!_

_DON'T YOU _DARE _DIE ON ME!_

I was sinking too fast, and I was forced to spin and push her up with my legs instead. The pressure in my head increased, and my body hurt from lack of oxygen and the straining of unused muscles.

_AAHHH! It hurts! It hurts!_

_WHERE _IS _EVERYONE?!_

_Make it stop!_

_She's dying! She isn't breathing! No! No! Not yet!_

_COME ON! COME ON!_

_WHAT KIND OF BIG SISTER _AM I?!

I kept my neck craned to see if the ten year old was still above the surface. My vision had already been shrinking when she was pulled out of the pool by lithe shadows.

Everything went numb in relief.

_Thank god._

_THANK GOD!_

A vague thought pierced my mind. _Swim. Surface. Air. _I moved once, twice, and felt the tension in my mind pop.

The world went dark.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

_Well, I'm a little worried about how this is going to work, since I tend to go over every chapter multiple times and Eccy can write anything out and not go over it once…_

_Ha ha…_

_Okay, not funny. Please Review!_

—_Alice_

_Busy, busy, busy. I may be able to write anything out fast enough - then have alice go over it where she edits whole on sentences (which actually turn into really, well styled, piece of work)- but also I have other fics to do right now since I passed my KHR phase back in like 2010-2011 and currently fangirling other stuff. But this fic will be a priority!_

_Plus, Alice changes motivation from one fic to another every other hour. I don't blame her though, ha!_

_Go check out My Name Is Alice 's other KHR fic, Circo Di Inferno which I also help on (mostly with ideas really and help her decide things)._

_R&R please! reviews make our erratic minds work on one fic faster._

_~Eccy _


	2. Duobus in Unum

_Sasagawa Kyoko was born March 4th in Namimori Hospital at 15:24:03 at 5 lb 18 oz._

At a young age Kyoko was a normal child, she liked to color, to skip, to help her mother cook, and care for her older brother. The Sasagawa household was average as any Japanese family….Until their young little daughter started to get sick.

They took Kyoko to the hospital, called house doctor after house doctor, and looked to other healing remedies to put the color back in her little face, but nothing worked. The child was bedridden and out of sorts, talking of people who no one knew, of another family she dreamt of, and recalling memories that never happened. The doctors all shook their heads, proclaiming that had no clue what was wrong with her. That perhaps the cold of the current winter had taken its toll on her. So she was left to her room, hardly able to move. Stuck with her troubled mind most of the time. Only her dear brother stood by her side the most, reading her stories, checking up on her, and listening to her babbling.

"Kyo-chan, you're silly, these things never happened. We don't have a journalist uncle." Ryohei always smiled and laughed as sincerely he could so his little sister wouldn't feel bad.

"But I do….Or…..I'm not sure onii-san…." The heavy blankets on her almost covered her mouth, keeping in warmth to her cold, now pale, body. Her face was crestfallen, confused with herself. If she continued like this then poppa and momma would send her away….

"Don't worry Kyo! You're just really sick, when you get better you'll be more clear-headed!" Her brother gave her a thumbs up which made her brighten up.

"And we can go to the park?!"

"Yeah! Now just rest up! I'll read you another story!"

Soon enough Kyoko did get better. She had woken up one summer morning and the color had been returned to her face, as if the sun coming through her window had filled up her pale cheeks back to their rosy color . When questioned what had worked best for her to get better, she had smiled and said no medicine could heal her, but herself. That she had been fighting something within herself and had finally won….for the time being.

"The spirit in me gave up and I locked it up in prison! But some of it got away…." She kicked her feet over the doctor's medical table happily, in her little blue patient's robe.

Her parent's thought it best to never mention the details of their daughter's illness and instead called it a severe flu. Kyoko soon enough forgot of the whole thing as well, being told enough times she just had flu. And being so young during such that while he grew older, the memories faded into the fake story. But in her youth there was a spirit in her, in the back of her head, until the day she finally did forget it and all her memories.

"_I'm not Kyoko Sasagawa…" _The voice of those memories rang clear through her mind. "_She's won dominance for now….Though…..Being Kyoko doesn't seem all bad….A loving family, a big brother, a promising future if she plays her cards right…...Maybe I'll just….lay low….Kyoko isn't all bad."_

And that was when Anna Garcia became one with Kyoko Sasagawa.

* * *

For the following years I stayed within Kyoko's body, relaxing as she went on with life. It wasn't my place to control her, she was her own person. just because my short life was squandered did not mean I had to do the same to her's.

As a child to her near pre-teens I was there with her, always, as her guide in things I had gone through myself, lending my knowledge to her.

Such as when she voiced her love for Ballet, something I too harbored a liking for but was too shy to go into. That being admitted I made it a goal to get her into classes which meant I took more power over her than I usually did - I would do this a lot as time passed on just for those moments when I knew it was vital.

Kyoko made her way up to her dear mother, an accountant who spoiled her daughter rotten.

"Oka-san! I wanna dance! I wanna be in a ballet!' our words chimed cheerily, doing a few twirls. The woman looked down from her work on the table to watch her daughter dance childishly around.

"Really, Kyo? Are you going to be committed?"

"_Are we going to be committed Kyoko?"_

"Yes! Yes! I wanna be a ballerina! I'll be sooo good, they'll want me all over the world to dance!"

And so kyoko was enrolled in ballet classes that same month. Her brother had voiced a want to join as well for the fancy footwork, having already decided he wanted to be a fighter of some sort, but his father declined the request - liking the enthusiasm, but it was for girls only.

" _Pfffftttt, sexist views; kyoko don't you ever think you can't do boy things because it's "only for boys", thats bull."_

"Did you do a lot of boy stuff, koe-chan?" Kyoko whispered to me as she did her ballet stretches in the line of little girls in black leotards, pink tutus, and pink laced shoes for class. No one paid her much heed as she did such, she had actually become good at whispering to me, though one day I hoped we could converse via mind - lest the weird stares did come.

"_Yea, at your age I skateboarded, played in the dirt, and even fought a few boys….Back when I was more brave._" as a kid I was ruthless and a tomboy, but as I got older and more mature I found my love for "girly" things and lost my nerve for boy stuff.

"Did you ever do Ballet? you really wanted me to do it."

"_No, I was too shy by the time I realized I liked it, that's why I made sure to get you into it. you're actually really good, keep it up and you can achieve your dream!"_

At that time Kyoko enjoyed her classes and made new friends, but it wouldn't last. A few kids had started to tease her about her girly tendencies, I had tried to tell them off and even contemplated hurting them, but Kyoko was not a fighter and I was not going to make her. She ignored them, bless her little soul, and kept on dancing, being one of the best in class….But then her brother was not the same.

Ryohei, the sweet, stupid, ape, heard the cruel words and did what me and Kyoko did not, he broke those kid's teeth and got into trouble. By now he was known as a fighter and protectively looked over his sister. Kyoko was horrified, seeing the blisters on his knuckles and the blood from when he got hit back. She quit ballet so it wouldn't cause problems for anyone. Ryohei tried to tell her to go back, but she was adamant.

* * *

Years later, when kyoko was more of a kid now, there came the incident; it was a normal day for her, walking home from school on the usual route. Ryohei was not there though, Kyoko usually walked with him, but she had decided to get a head start home - it being just a block or so away. I at the time was not interfering as much as I used to - the ballet issue had made me decide not to meddle in Kyoko's life so much, instead to let it take it's natural course.

This incident though, would be a turning point in her, strengthening her mentality against me and shoving me into the depths of her being. As she skipped along I spotted a few boys were huddled up ahead. Once she was in proximity they blocked her way, creating a circle around the little girl.

"You're coming with us, Sasagawa!"

"B-but-"

Kyoko was dragged behind the boys, unable to fight their burning grips. I had wanted to take control and help, but the anxiety in Kyoko's body was overwhelming, making me too nervous to try anything. They stopped at a field of grass near the running stream of water in town. There wa no one for miles in sight, the rumble and pollution of cars the only other sounds - save the babbling of the brook. They threw her to the floor, surrounding her once more.

"Now shut up! We only want to beat down your brother." Yelled the most dirtiest kid of them all, his arms crossed as he looked down on Kyoko.

"W-why?! Big brother didn't do anything!" Dear little Kyoko tried to stay brave, if not for her sake, then her older brother's.

"Because I beated up his brother!" Was the yell of Ryohei as he ran up to the group of kids. He stopped just a few feet away as the delinquent placed a foot menacingly above Kyoko, threatening to slam down on her ribs.

"_Do kid's actually do this shit? Not in fucken America - but even IF so, not this demonic!"_

"That's right! Rin was doing nothing but playing when-"

"He was bullying other kids off the jungle gym!" Ryohei cut in, hands forming into tight fists. "He was shoving kids off and laughing! He wasn't playing!"

The twitch on the delinquent's face told me and Kyoko truth; his brother had been given an ass whooping for being bad, and now his big brother was coming back for revenge. With this distraction Kyoko then used her wits, crossing her arms tightly and ducking her head as she summoned all her courage, and rolled forward with all her might.

"Hey!"

"Kyoko!" Her older brother crouched down to stop her roll, checking to make sure she was okay. Only a few scrapes and grass stained littered Kyoko, her sweetest smile making Ryohei smile, but it was only for a moment.

A cry of war echoed through the delinquent who lunged forward with a punch ready; Ryohei quickly sprang forwards as well, catching the delinquent in a grip lock before the punch could be blown. the toppled down the slope near the running brook, Ryohei topping over his enemy and hitting him with all his might.

The other boys quickly ran down to help their leader, tugging Ryohei away and packing punches into his gut. They held the poor boy down as they continued to kick and punch him with all their might. A shrill cry from Kyoko as tears burned down her cheeks was enough to alert some sort of adult because within another minute as group of them came running after the boys.

the delinquents gasped, dropping Ryohei and running off. The only one who stood for a moment was the leader, blood running down his nose and cut up cheeks. Compared to Ryohei, the stupid little cretin barely had a few bruises. With a clumsy kick Ryohei's head was sent flying, body following suit until he fell onto his stomach.

The next few minutes were the adults calling the police and trying to find out where the delinquents went; Kyoko had ran down the heel, falling and scraping her knees as she came up to her older brother, body shattering with every sob that racked her poor frame.

"B-b-big bro-o-the-er!" She screamed, fingers gripping his torn up vest. Blood soaked the grass surrounding him, the red glare burning Kyoko's innocent eyes. Ryohei did not answer, the only movement and sound being his labored breathing.

That's when Kyoko decided she hated violence. That she wanted for no one to ever fight. Especially for her.

"_Koe! Why?! Why did big brother have to get hurt?!" _Kyoko couldn't form a coherent sentence as we rode in an ambulance. The medics all hussled around Ryohei's medical bed, tightening bandages on him and inserting tubes to his arms. It was almost like a horror scene from a scary movie.

"_I don't know…..Because he's good, and good people are always targeted by the bad guys…..I'm so sorry, Kyoko."_ I couldn't really comprehend why this poor, little, boy, was the target of so many. It couldn't just be because he loved and was good at fighting, or that he had a bad temper - he fought fairly and for sport; he had started to get a grip over his stupid impulses. Why would they beat Ryohei to near death? He probably didn't even beat that bully little brother up that badly - Ryohei wasn't that kind of

"I'm still a man! There may come a time when I have to fight."

Kyoko cries had soften into whimpers, her little body on fire from the shaking sobs of earlier. Stupid, lovable, barbaric, Ryohei laid in his hospital bed, having finally came to the next morning. during that time Kyoko had come early in with her parents, never leaving his side.

These stupid words did not make Kyoko nor me any happier, but the boy's stupidly grinning face was good to see finally, though it was beaten up and bandaged.

"But if you continue to cry…." Ryohei's face suddenly turned to stone, determining blazing in his eyes.

"I won't lose!" His smile was not of a child's, it was much more resolved and confident. This fool would continue to fight and be so focused on winning so he wouldn't be beaten up for his sister? All so she didn't have to worry? I was so proud of him, though his resolve was still pretty dumb. He was selfless when it came to his baby sister.

"_You're lucky to have him as a big brother, Kyo."_

Kyoko continued to sob, hanging her head, rubbing one eye with a fist. She thought her brother's decision was dumb as well, she didn't want him to fight at all, but at least he work harder to not be hurt badly. She supposed it was good enough for her. So Kyoko right then and there, only known between me and her, decided to do all she (we) could to be there for Ryohei. To make sure he was safe and healthy. To support him as best we could, and be a good sister.

"Get...Get better soon...P-please." She choked out, putting on a brave smile to cheer Ryohei up.

"Of course! This is nothing! Once I'm outta this bed, we'll go out for ice cream at the park!"

_Stupid, stupid, Ryohei, with all his glee. and all his hard-headedness. Thank goodness had a brother like him_

* * *

Time passed, and Kyoko went on with her life. Having given up on Ballet -though she held a passion to watch it and collect memorabilia- she found new motivation and time towards more traditional things like, cooking, sewing, and crafts. Her mother made some time during lunch to teach her daughter many a basic thing, such as creating last moment decorations and foods, and how to quickly patch up a tear, get rid of a stain in no time, and finally accessorize her appearance - which Kyoko took all to heart. She had a mission now to be the best woman she could be.

Her grandmother also taught her many things of which were a bit more useful in the long run of things - like cooking big meals, proper manners, and what not that kept a house tidy and nice. I was proud of my little girl, growing up and learning so much. She'd make any man happy. Of course when she was of age! One boy in particular caught my eyes for one of Kyoko's suitors; yes, I am aware of how dumb I may sound, but I loved Kyoko as my own family, I cared for her deeply and wanted to make sure her life was better than my own short lived one.

The two kids attended grade-school together as well, having played occasionally, and even now in grade school they barely ever talked to one another but joined in the same group games. He seemed shy, but the way he scurried around, playing with everything in sight, the boy was full of energy. Such was happening as the teacher called the kids to lay down for a nap.

"_Kyoko, go get Tsuna before he gets in trouble."_

"Why, Koe?" the little orange-haired girl whispered under her breath, sitting with her back to the boy as he giggled and jumped around.

"_Because, it's nap time, and he's being reckless. Why don't you lay down next to him and talk? He's a nice boy."_

"I guess, if you say so, koe, but I don't he'd listen to-"

"Who're talking to Kyoko-chan?" Tsunayoshi popped his head beside the little girl, making her jump and yelp.

"K-k-koe!" Kyoko's heart beating loudly, trying to calm down from her fright.

"Eh? Whose koe? We don't have a friend named voice." His brown eyes were wide with curiosity and brightness. I knew that his cuteness would fade away as he grew, thus he had my vote in the appearance factor of finding kyoko a boyfriend when she got older.

"I do! She only talks to me!" Kyoko pointed a finger to her head, smiling as usual.

"Ehhh? An imaginary friend?"

"Nu-uh!" She got defensive, pouting softly.

"How do you talk to someone not here?" of course the boy was not all smart, but surely with the strict japanese education system he'd grow more of a brain - most kids by now would have understood kyoko was mad in the head…..Wait….Shit, kyoko was mad in the head, all because of me, ugh.

"She talks to me in my head!" Kyoko wasn't too bright either when it came to explaining things, but oh well I suppose, the education system both worked ways - this was only grade school anyways.

Tsuna furrowed his brows, lips forming a flat line. He grasped either side of Kyoko's head, leaned over on his knees, and pulled their heads together into a beadbutt. The two children stood like that for a moment, the brunette's determined face and the ginger's confused one.

"K-koe…." My little girl looked to me for an explanation and help, but I was too busy laughing, finding the scene cute. Tsuna banged their heads together once more, foreheads hitting a bit harder than last time. Kyoko, being the strong girl she was, squeaked at the pain, eyes shutting.

Something in the boy's determined face, though….His chocolate eyes stared at Kyoko with such a force, I could practically feel it….See it….Kyoko's body suddenly started to warm up, from what, I had no clue. Maybe she was getting embarrassed, or the heater had been put up, but warm blood began to course through our veins, almost as if a fire was nearby.

Finally Tsuna sighed, frowning and eyes averting down. "I can't hear her, kyoko-chan."

The little red-head giggled, opening her eyes to meet the boy's. "It's okay Tsuna, Koe didn't have anything to say anyways." She placed her hands over his, sliding them off her head. "Let's go lay down now, I'm sleepy." She then crawled on her knees to a spread blanket, big enough for two.

Tsuna took a spot beside her, yawning loudly, rubbing his eyes. The two children faced one another as they lay on their sides, smiling.

"Tsuna-kun, you'll keep Koe a secret, right? She scares big brother and mama, and papa."

"Hai! I will! don't worry kyoko, as long as we're friends, I'll keep Koe a secret!" He whispered back with glee, pushing out his pinky for kyoko to hook on it. Kyoko did just that, locking their pinkies then tugging his down, making the boy laugh.

"_What a silly boy."_

* * *

Kyoko's hand tightened together, knuckles pressed against her forehead, eyes shut. She whispered prayers for awhile, her words flowing perfectly with no mistakes in pronunciation nor enunciation. She knew the mantras backwards and forwards, she said in her sleep, they were engraved in her mind. She didn't want any bad luck happening to them. Especially since her father's accident.

Ryohei stumbled over his words, face twitching with every mistake and mispronounced word. compared to his little sister's perfect couldn't keep up with kyoko, and opted to just shutup finally and give his silent respect.

"And please watch over my family." Kyoko's words seem to echo through the shrine. "_Please make Oto-san's back feel better too so he may go to work." _She added in her head, not wanting to embarrass her father's name or upset Ryohei.

"Oi, Kyoko, we should head home, the fog's picking up." Her brother slouched on his knees, looking around the woodland area. It should have been a sunny day, yet here they were, feeling the humidity of fog. It was unnerving since they were in such a holy place too.

Kyoko shut her eyes tight, and hunched her shoulders, concentrating on her pray so the spirits may help her. She thought of her mother's worried face as she cooked dinner; her grandmother rubbing healing oils on her son's back so it would stop aching; her brother doing double his normal exercise routine; and finally she saw her dad, flat on his stomach, looking so despondent.

"Kyoko! come on! I can't even see the steps now!" Ryohei went to grab her arm but stopped short. His eyes widened as something long and dark slithered around his sister's bicep down to her fingers, intertwining with her locked fingers. He yelped and fell back on his bottom.

The little orange-haired girl snapped her eyes open, looking wildly to her older brother pointing at her. She looked to where he pointed and saw nothing.

"Eh, Onii-san, what is it?" Her face softened and turned worried.

"I-I-I-I!" He stuttered.

Kyoko got up and noticed the fog surrounding them. She looked down to the steps and saw the overcast started to fade away before her.

"We should get home! We don't wanna worry mama!" She quickly made her way down the steps. "It's so misty!" her voice echoed back to her brother, still on the floor.

Ryohei stared at the shrine for a moment, unable to think properly. He had definitely seen something….Right? On his baby sister…..He looked around at the fog, seeing that it was nearly all gone.

The boy got up, dusted his jeans, and ran after his sister, deciding not to think anymore one the nonsense he had seen before. It was all in his head. He should calm down on the double training for a few days.

"Hey! Kyoko! Wait up!"

* * *

_Miura Haru was born Tuesday, May 3rd, in Namimori Hospital at 21:12:15, at 7 lb 8 oz._

* * *

I was five years old when the memories came. I didn't understand any of it, especially since the images began mingling with my present ones. A girl named Alice, a mathematician for a father, baby sisters, the Japanese language, a friend named Anna, Spanish, English, laughing, crying. My head cramped and it hurt _so much_ that I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. It became so bad that my mother—_No, _Miura Haru's mother—did not hesitate to find help for her child—_Yeah… _Miura Haru.

Nothing was wrong.

And the worried look she kept on passing me when she thought I wasn't looking reminded me of my past mother. The panic and fear on her face whenever I accidentally mixed fluent English and Spanish with my Japanese, the fear whenever I didn't understand or recognize her...

I wanted it to stop.

So…as soon as I got my bearings, or as soon as Miura Haru and I's train of thought merged for a common goal...I pretended it never happened.

It took a few weeks to convince her it was all just an attention seeking lie. Even then, she looked sceptical, but as time passed and I clutched my head behind a door, stifling my cries against my knees as the last memories settled, she smiled and pretended it never happened.

Somehow… when the memories finally settled down, I came to the realization that I was Miura Haru. No matter the different personalities or different experiences, all of the memories were cramped into one head and that meant both the original Haru and I were intertwined in an intricate pattern that no one could detangle.

I was Miura Haru. Well, sort of.

I was a new Miura Haru.

And you know what's even worse? Having all of those memories and unconsciously comparing everything. For one, I had a father here, and the perks of being a single child were wonderful, albeit lonely. And...I missed my mother...a strong, proud woman with the strength to raise three girls without breaking down once. And if she did, she had the good sense not to do it in front of us. Here, my mother was the epitome of femininity. No calloused hands or pained feet. No heavy eyelids, or weary sighs. There was such a delicacy here...

It scared me. Would I grow to be like her to? I had taken pride in my mental strength, and the thought of being as _feminine, _maybe even _weak,_ as Miura Haru was, or as she was portrayed...

It scared me.

To the core.

I didn't want to be like that.

It went against everything I believed in.

And my sisters… Celia, Lacie...they were annoying, there's no doubt about that, but I loved them. How couldn't I?

I felt regret for not saying, 'I love you,' that day, but they weren't stupid. They knew I loved them. I had said so. Multiple times.

Multiple times...

But, dying after an argument...maybe it wasn't the best way to go...

_And that was when Alice Menendez became one with Miura Haru._

* * *

Miura Emi was a beautiful woman with long, perfect curls of the darkest ebony (usually tied in a side ponytail), and eyes that put the night sky to shame in their depth and amount of stars. Her lips were a pretty pink and her smile would light up a room. Her laugh could dispel disease and her singing could end poverty.

She was not unlike Maria Veronica.

"What a shame such a beautiful woman married such a plain man." A mother whispered, none too discreetly. My hand twitched, creating an uneven line on the shark I was drawing. _Calm down, calm down, _I exhaled then erased the crooked line, trying to darken the great white shark's outline. _I'm getting tired of these_—

"I wonder why she chose Miura Kazuo out of all the suitors she had." A meek brunette muttered, brushing back her son's hair.

_That's it. _I stood, chair scraping the marble of the kindergarten classroom. I pivoted on my right foot and made my way over, fingers trembling in annoyance.

"Haru~!" I was suddenly thrown up into the air, my squeal nearly concealing the laugh my mother emitted. "Are you having fun? Are you liking school?" She sat and placed me on her lap, slender fingers tickling my sides.

"Okāsan!" I snapped, trying to keep a straight face and failing. "I-I got to—" I became breathless with giggles. "T-Those women—" Tears were collecting at the corners of my eyes!

"It's okay, Haru." She breathed into my neck, making me pause. I felt her sigh ruffle my hair as she pulled me closer to her, voice weary. "It's okay."

I frowned. "No, it's not—" She tickled me again, leaving my sides sore and my lungs burning. _Why am I so ticklish! _I wasn't this ticklish in my past life!

"They don't know anything," She continued, once I had calmed down. She righted me in her lap, smooth fingers brushing my fringe from my face. "Okāsan is very happy with Otōsan." I stared at her, snapping my head away at her happy expression. _Now I know why J.M. Barrie said Wendy had a kiss at the corner of her mouth..._

"If what they're saying is true," I mumbled, curious and a little embarrassed at my thoughts, "Why _did _you marry Otōsan?" It was a strange combination. Miura Kazuo was a plain man in every aspect.

She blinked, then smiled widely, leaning forward so our foreheads touched to rub our noses together. "Because Otōsan makes Okāsan happy, and now, he makes Okāsan and Haru happy." I blinked, letting the words process in my mind.

"Okay." I mumbled, wondering why her use of third person made everything easier to understand. _Is that why Miura Haru spoke in third person?_

"Come on, I think you got the feel of kindergarten today. Let's go shopping." I pouted at her words. I didn't _want_ to go grocery shopping, but I definitely didn't want to stay at the Kindergarten Open House either…

"Okay." She smiled at my response, making my chest flutter as I grinned back at her. "Oh, that reminds me." She lifted me into her arms, placing me on her hip as she picked up her bag with her left hand. "We'll go to your gymnastics class after, okay?"

I sighed, resisting the urge to blink slowly in weariness. Miura Haru had started gymnastics as soon as she could walk, and I was in too deep to get out of it.

I shivered.

That statement sounded too much like my death.

**Age: 6**

"Ne, Haru-chan?"

"Hm?" I mumbled, looking up and watching Shiro's eyes catch the white _tsubaki_ in front of me.

He cocked his head, tearing his gaze from the flower to meet my eyes. I blinked at him, signaling him to continue. He walked over, crouching next to me to look at the white camellia. We didn't speak, the sound of the wind and buzzing of bees filling the silence.

"You seem different." He said, his voice blending well with the background noise. The warmth of his body against mine was prominent as my mind slowly processed his words.

_Different? He noticed? _That was impressive, for an eight year old. Especially since he only started to play with me this summer. "Is that good?" I asked, looking at the white haired boy at an angle.

"Mmm…" He stared at the single flower intently, lavender eyes unwavering. "I don't know." He answered finally, head snapping over to me with a grin. "But I like it!"

I looked away, exhaling in a rush; a habit I carried from my past life whenever I was nervous. "I guess it's a good thing, then." _Wonder why he didn't like Miura Haru before my memories came back…_

"Ne, Haru-chan, are you coming next year too?" He asked, a strange expression on his face. I looked at him a moment, searching his eyes for idiocy. I found none.

It was a silly question. We came to the island of Sado every summer to visit my grandparents on my Otōsan's side. But I didn't blame the boy, he was a neglected child, and he liked to boast I was his best friend with a large grin on his face despite the fact I was only going to be here only two months a year.

"I think so." I replied, extending my hand to break the flower's stem. _Okāsan will like it._

"Haru-chan!" His voice was so loud and _against my ear _that I jumped, hand flying to my chest in panic.

"What?! What is it?!" I looked at him with a pounding heart, feeling my expression fall when he leaned forward and cut the camellia, presenting it to me with a grin on his face.

"A going away present." He nearly laughed, making my shoulders slump at the innocent action.

"You scared me!" I exhaled, pinching my annoyance away, "Thank you, Shiro-kun." I said, taking the flower from his hands. _Oh well, Okāsan..._ A drop of blood splashed on the pavement in between us and I stared at it, mind slowly processing...

"Huh? Shiro-kun did you cut yourself?" I asked, voice rising at the end uncomfortably. _I thought I grew out of that..._

"Hm?" He brought his hand forwards, palm upwards, and I took his wrist to better see the thin cut on his fingertip. "I guess I did." He said with a small laugh. _Kamisama he's almost as bad as Yamamoto._

"At least it isn't bad," I sighed, bringing his forefinger to my lips. My tongue ran along the small wound, the taste of blood drilling into my mouth. I looked up when the boy didn't respond to my action, my heart nearly stopping at the look in his eyes.

Why are his eyes unnerving me?

_Because those are not the eyes of an eight year old_.

I knew little of Ran Shiro. Other than him being a product of an arranged marriage by the island's two most prominent families, and thus suffering from neglect despite all of the people he was surrounded with. I knew he hadn't grown with the love and care Miura Haru had grown up with, and maybe his childhood was worse than Alice Menendez's. _Is that why Shiro didn't like Miura Haru? _Because she was too innocent? Did my sudden maturity catch his eye? Still, I found it amazing he smiled the way he did. It was definitely inspirational—

_Wait._ Was his face getting closer?!

He didn't look away from my eyes as he leaned towards me, the air between us warm and humid. He breathed against my face and I found my lungs curling into themselves at the lack of oxygen, my ears ringing.

_Is he…is he going to…?_

Yes, he was. He brought his wounded index finger to my chin, my hand tightening around his wrist in what I took to be nervousness. My eyelids unconsciously slid half-closed as I inhaled sharply, the older boy following my example as our lips met. It was a chaste kiss, the skin barely brushing but definitely prominent. He leaned forwards some more, the pressure against my lips increasing. When the blankness of my mind faded to clear thought I pushed against him, mind racing on what to do next.

I had only kissed one boy in my past life, and I couldn't think of a way to keep this PG fast enough.

So when he broke the kiss, and looked at me with a curious look in his eyes, I was never more grateful for Miura Emi in this short life.

"Haru! We're leaving!"

I jumped, face burning when Shiro blinked. "Um, I, uh, gotta go, so, I'll—" I swallowed, mouth dry. "I'll see you next summer!" I shot up, running as fast as my little six year old legs could take me. I promptly tripped, arms waving wildly as I caught myself with a squeak, ears hot as I felt the boy's lavender gaze drill into me.

"Did you say good-bye to Shiro-kun?" Okāsan asked with a smile after I had slammed the car door behind me, watching as I fiddled with my seat belt from the passenger seat.

"Yes!" I snapped involuntarily, heart thudding. "Can we go now?"

She blinked, confused. "Did you get in a fight with Shiro-kun?"

"What?" I blinked, perplexed on how she came up with such a reason. Then I remembered what happened. "No! No! No, we didn't fight!" I shook my head fiercely, cheeks warming.

She cocked her head, watching me with dark eyes that made me blush harder. "I see…" Her gaze lowered to the white camellia still in my hands, and a smile slowly formed on her face. "Oh…" She drawled, hiding her grin behind her hand. "I see."

Was I a tomato yet? "No! No, you don't see!" I argued, groaning when she nodded and agreed with me.

Otōsan seemed lost in the conversation, and I deftly turned towards the window, grumbling under my breath as Miura Emi hummed happily.

_Stupid, tsubaki._

**Age: 7**

Right after I had spent an entire year thinking on what to do once I faced Ran Shiro again, it turns out that Okāsan was called to Italy by Ojīsan, from Okāsan's side of the family. It turns out that Ojisan, my uncle, had finally gotten a 'business partnership' with the influential CEDEF Co. and he wanted his daughter to attend the celebration of her brother's success. Of course, it was more humbly written, with 'celebration of business partnership' in place of 'celebration of brother's success.'

But it _still_caught my attention nonetheless.

One question of, "Okāsan, are you involved in the mafia?" and a horrified look answered everything.

Miura Emi, née Antonia Emi Aieta, was born to a Japanese mother and Italian father in Aieta, Italy. Upon birth, she was named successor of Aieta Enterprises to the public and next boss of the Aieta Famiglia to the underworld by my grandfather, Durante (also known as Dante) Aieta. That is, until her younger brother, Pietro Ken'ichi Aieta was born.

It was complicated, she said, with the saddest expression on her face.

As she told me this, she didn't say _why _she left (obviously, or else I'd be in Italy with a different father), but at least it made a little more sense as to why she married Miura Kazuo. Can't get a simpler life than settling down with a math professor. And a few thousand miles away no less.

I asked her why Ojīsan wanted her there, and she answered that it was part of the deal. Before I could question her on this, Otōsan came home and she promptly stuffed a cookie in my mouth.

It was delicious.

So here I am, having fought tooth and nail to even be here, ignoring how it was dangerous and how Okāsan didn't want me to be involved with the mafia because I was Miura Haru. And Miura Haru was destined to be involved with the mafia. So I didn't think it would matter if she saw that world just a few years earlier.

"—and this is my granddaughter, Miura Haru." I blinked, tearing my eyes away from the dessert table. Okāsan warned me not to ruin my appetite. My eyes widened upon seeing Vongola Nono, the old man smiling pleasantly down at me. _Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god Is this happening?!_ He picked up a creme puff and knelt to my level, presenting it to me with a friendly smile. "Hello, Haru-chan. My name is Timoteo."

I _know._

His Japanese was good. Very good. "_Ciao."_ I responded, a little too eager to try speaking the Italian I had just started learning, (especially to Vongola Nono) before taking the dessert from his wrinkled hand with a smile. "_Grazie mille."_ He blinked, surprised. _Yes~!_ Then he laughed, placing a large hand on my head and messing up the hair Okāsan had painstakingly worked on.

"What a smart girl you are, Haru." He chuckled, removing his hand and letting me run my hands through it. At the very least there would be some sense of order to the thing. "Do you know any other languages?"

I blinked, brushing my fringe from my face. "English." I responded, wondering if adding another would cause suspicion. "And Spanish, but not as well." It was embarrassing to admit that despite growing up with Spanish as my first language, I quickly outgrew it with English. And it shamed me to admit it. I had been losing a connection to my heritage.

Timoteo smiled pleasantly, "My, you can speak four languages at your age, Haru?"

I shrugged, trying not to blush in pleasure, _I have a knack for languages._ "I want to learn French and German too…" I mumbled. I had taken two years of French before my death, and I had been all too ready for a third year. _Maybe Greek too. And Latin. Korean? Russian?_

"Goodness, what a granddaughter, Dante." I glanced up at my grandfather, who hadn't let go of my hand once (didn't want me running off), and felt happiness creep along my cheeks at the proud look in his eyes.

"Yes, I'm a lucky man." He swooped me into his arms, and I yelped, placing my hands on his broad shoulders to keep my balance. The ground was suddenly far away. "She's just like her mother."

_I wish. _"Really? I think she resembles you the most, Dante. I seem to remember a sharp boy all too ready to take on the world." Timoteo chuckled, eyes closing in mirth, but there lay a hint of sadness around the corners of his eyes. "Of course, he was ready for it, and succeeded all too well. Although...he seems to have gotten no childhood." And the old man smiled. A smile worthy of a Sky.

It took my breath away.

_Kamisama, I want Vongola Nono to be my grandfather. _I never knew my grandparents in my past life. My mother said that they died in Mexico while she was still in the United States, and as for my father... I met my father's mother once, but she had merely gushed at how beautiful Celia and I were before talking to my father and leaving my sibling and I to stand to the side with an awkward air.

My mother had no kind words when it came to her.

This was the first time I met Durante Aieta, but he had sent me many expensive gifts (I cannot express just how expensive and plentiful they were) and had obviously progressed my growth through my mother's extensive picture taking. I liked him. He spoilt, and teased, and joked about his age around me. In some small way he was more father than Otōsan, but what Otōsan and I had…

It was sort of scary to suddenly have a father there for you.

"Timoteo…" Ojīsan sighed, warm breath ruffling my hair.

Said man laughed, looking at me with a smile that belonged on an old man. "Well Haru, would you like more sweets?"

"_Si, per favore!" _I answered, maybe a little too eagerly.

He chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile at the sound.

That was how I met Vongola _Nonno._

How clever of you, Akira Amano.

**Age: 8**

"Shiro-kun, I don't think—" He pulled me forwards, making me gasp as he placed a finger on my lips.

"Shh!" He grinned, bringing his forefinger to his own mouth. "We have to be quiet, Haru-chan." He quickly tugged me behind him, steps light and quick.

"I know." I whispered back, frowning as we continued to sneak down the halls. "But giving me a key to the back door isn't—"

"Shiro." I squeaked, the both of us whirling towards the voice, my heart racing in panic. My mind went blank when I caught sight of a woman with long white hair that flowed down her back in loose waves, but Shiro's grip on my hand tightened, awakening me.

Wait. _When did the door open?! _She took a silent sip from her tea, small hands white and cupid bow lips pink. She wore a colorful kimono and sat with her feet tucked under her, a purple orchid woven into the right side of her hair. "What do you think you're doing?" She opened her eyes, and I inhaled sharply when I noticed the gray orbs framed by long eyelashes.

_Kamisama, she's beautiful. _"Okāsan." Shiro greeted, his hand shaking slightly. I tightened my grip on his hand instinctively, lacing our fingers together for a better grip, all the while trying to keep my jaw from meeting the floor. "This is my friend, Miura Haru."

I inhaled deeply, forcing down the beating of my heart. "Ohayō." I greeted, bowing. "My name's Miura Haru. Nice to meet you." I made sure to use the formal form of _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. _I didn't want her _not _liking me, she was my friend's mother after all. Her eyes looked me up and down, slowly, almost hypnotically, making the hairs along my spine rise on end. She turned her gaze to Shiro, who had a strangely blank look on his face.

I've never seen him wear such an expression before… It was scary.

"No." She said, turning back to her tea, and the tension in the room broke like glass.

_No? _What did she mean by 'no'? I glanced at Shiro out of the corner of my eye, and my heart nearly stopped at how _white_ his face had gone. His lips had no color, and his pupils were dilated. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of his cheek, and his breathing was heavy.

"Shiro-kun." I whispered, pulling on his hand, slightly panicking at his reaction to a single word. He didn't respond, but the color slowly returned to his face. I continued to watch him, eyes judging his complexion.

_What the hell?_

Another door opened, making my head snap towards the sound. "Murasaki—" The male stopped, fingers working on his cuff links. Shiro grew stiff, and I knew then that this was his father. Who else would elicit such a reaction from him? The Shiro I knew was a confident boy with no sense of embarrassment or fear. The man narrowed his lavender eyes at me, and I couldn't help but think that Shiro would grow to be a handsome man—

_Kamisama, you're fucking with me._

"Shiro, what are you doing?" The man asked, fixing his tie and running a hand through his dark hair. His features were sharper than I noted at first glance, and there was a definite hint of European blood in his cheekbones and jaw.

_Where...are all of these beautiful people coming from?!_

"This is my friend, Miura Haru." His voice was significantly lower, and I took a step forward, not loosening my grip on the boy's hand. "Ohayō." I greeted again, bowing. "My name's Miura Haru, nice to meet you." He continued to stare at me, lavender eyes significantly softer than his wife's but deeper, probing at my soul—

"Kiiro." Shiro's mother said, almost snapped. The strength of his gaze increased, and there was a moment of silence. Suddenly, he turned his head away, saying nothing, making Shiro intake a sharp breath, almost in a hopeful manner.

"Otōsan?" He asked, voice loud in the silence. That one word seemed to awaken everyone in the room, and Ran Kiiro turned away fully, exposing us to his wide back.

"I'm leaving." He announced, not bothering to kiss his wife on the cheek, and passing us by the doorway with long strides. I felt his gaze pierce me, and I found myself holding my breath as I heard his retreating footsteps. _That man…_

"Daichi."

"Hai." A butler suddenly appeared, taking Shiro and I by surprise. Shiro's head snapped towards his mother, mouth parting, "Please escort Miura-kun out. Shiro, get back to your lessons."

"Okāsan—"

"Please follow me, Miss."

"No!" Shiro exclaimed, pulling me towards him. I grazed my chin against his shoulder with a grunt, our chests colliding and knocking the wind out of me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, keeping me close to him, a sudden, hopeful, fire in his eyes. "Haru-chan, isn't going anywhere!"

"Shiro-kun," I breathed, straightening and trying to pull away slightly. He didn't let me move, and I wondered where this sudden defiance came from. That hopeful flame he gained when his father looked away?

Ran Murasaki frowned, eyes heating up into a glare. "Shiro." She said lowly, placing down her teacup, slowly, dangerously. "Go back to your lessons." The boy shivered, his eyes widening. He began to shake slightly, and I wrapped my pinned arms around his waist, pulling him closer to me.

"Shiro-kun." I whispered, getting a clear view of his mother's eyes over the ten year old's shoulder.

_I don't like that woman… _I tilted my chin, bumping my cheekbone against his jaw. _I need to get out of here. _It was a little too clear to see that I was the reason the air was so thick here. Or...maybe I was too full of myself. Either way, this room was stifling. "Come find me later, okay?"

He swallowed, brows furrowing slowly. _Stubborn little—_ I bumped my cheekbone against his jaw again, a little harder this time to catch his attention. "Or do you want me to find you?"

He frowned fully this time, loosening his grip around my shoulders but not letting go. "No." He breathed, the sudden heat against my neck making me shiver. "I'll come find you."

I gave a low hum in confirmation, taking a step back and slowly backing away, giving him the time he needed to release me. He did so reluctantly, his eyebrows furrowed, his lips frowning. "I'll see you later, Shiro-kun." I muttered. He nodded, and I'm sure we both tried to ignore the disapproving frown his mother sent us.

_Well, at least now I know all of this drama was over me. What up with rich people and commoners?_

I turned to follow the butler, then remembered just how scared Shiro was earlier. Was I really going to leave a child who feared his mother just like this?

No.

I pivoted on my right foot, took two long strides towards the blinking male, and threw my arms around his neck in a hug, whispering promises of marshmallows and firefly catching in his ear. I could sense his amusement, so, believing he would be okay, I let go and walked out of the Ran estate.

**Age: 9**

"I'm leaving, _Nonno!"_ I waved, smiling as I pulled on my scarf and shoes.

"Will you be alright walking home by yourself, Haru-chan? It's rather dark outside." The old man commented, forefinger against his lower lip in worry.

_What a sweetheart. _"It's fine." I waved away his concern, checking my pockets to see if I missed anything. "Ojīsan had people follow me here. I'm sure they're waiting for me outside." He blinked, surprised, before laughing wholeheartedly. "My, that sounds like Dante." He chuckled, mustache trembling.

_It's a little annoying seeing them out of the corner of my eye, though. _"Well then, have a safe trip back, Haru-chan." He knelt and straightened my scarf, arranging the Aieta insignia so it faced the front. "There, all ready."

I grinned at him, "_Grazie mille, Nonno."_

"You're very welcome." He grinned, ruffling my hair and taking a step back.

"Then," I straightened, hands tucking my hair into my scarf. "See you later, _Nonno."_

_No goodbyes._

"Until next time, Haru-chan!" He waved, watching as a doorman opened the mansion's double doors before I threw a grin at him over my shoulder. His smile was the last thing I saw before the door clicked closed in my face.

I sighed, pivoting on my foot to face the long pathway to the gates. I inhaled the crisp air before stuffing my hands into my pockets and beginning my journey, clothing heavy and thick. The gates opened automatically, the resounding clack behind me rather unsettling.

_Bad horror movie..._

I turned left and walked near the fence, rising moon to the right. The sound of gravel under my feet occupied the air, a steady tempo carrying my mind to daydreams. I blinked to attention, consciousness gripping my sense of direction and pointing me the right way.

I had always bragged that I had an awesome sense of direction in my past life.

The fence on my left gave way to brick walls, my feet beginning to ache at the distance I had already walked. The sidewalk narrowed and the various unnamed lanes began to crisscross with the main street I was currently trekking. I sighed, breath solidifying into mist. The tip of my nose was cold and I pulled up the brim of my scarf to exhale into the white knitting, heat momentarily warming the lower half of my face. A wind suddenly blew my hair out of my scarf, and I sighed at this sudden predicament, exhaling against the white knitting again.

Then a shadow loomed over me.

My head snapped up, eyes widening in surprise and possibly fear. Warm liquid splashed my cheek right before my gaze locked onto gray eyes. The taller figure landed in front of me in a crouch, and I inhaled sharply in shock, mouth parting to emit a sound of surprise. Head snapping up, the male glared before jumping at me like a big cat.

There was a sharp movement, and then I was suddenly being held against a chest I guessed to be his, hand over my mouth and mind blank. I began to struggle in panic, but a quick hiss of, "Shut up!" and the thud of boots behind the wall we suddenly had at our backs made everything stop.

_No way. No way. No way. No way. _The moment seemed to stretch forever, but I'm sure it probably lasted less than a minute. The chest against my back was lifting and falling too quickly. I could feel his heart beat against my ribs and feel his breath rattle against my shoulder, but I couldn't _hear it._ His left arm was around my waist, keeping my feet off of the ground, while I could taste the leather of his right glove against my mouth.

_Something's wrong, _I noticed. And this recognition scared me.

There was a shuffle behind us that send my adrenaline spiking. And then silence. After a moment, he exhaled, breath tickling my neck, before he let me go. I landed on my feet but fell onto my knees from the shock, breath leaving me at the impact. I quickly rolled over in vigilance, eyes watching as Superbi Squalo pulled open his Varia uniform to get to the dress shirt underneath.

Now that I could see him clearly, the moon popping from behind a cloud, I noticed a gash ran from his right collarbone to his shoulder and down his arm. It wasn't as long as you would imagine, but it was definitely deep. Or as deep for it to bleed as heavily as it was currently.

I didn't have a problem with blood. Especially if it was mine. But to see _so much _of it made my insides roll unpleasantly. Funny thing that the feeling almost resembled butterflies in my stomach. Not to mention the color was so much brighter than depicted in media. It didn't seem real to me, which made it easier to deal with, but the smell was definitely prominent.

I swallowed. Wanting it to stop. Wanting it to go away. The sight almost made me panic in fear despite the fact that I knew Squalo could take care of himself. Yet seeing him cut up his thin dress shirt for a wound like that—

Kamisama, he was cutting up his dress shirt.

"H-Here!" I nearly threw myself at him in trepidation, mind spinning with conflicting emotions. I didn't need him shirtless in front of me, it would make all the nervousness and fear and caution worse. "L-Let me—!" He caught my wrist in a tight grip, letting the scarf I was untangling from my neck to hang from just my left hand.

"Who are you?" He breathed, increasing the pressure on my wrist with his thumb slightly. There must have been a pressure point around there, because my right arm started heating up with pain. "You're under the protection of the Aieta family."

English. He was speaking English. If my mind wasn't clouding with pain and panic I would have found that endearing. But my sixth sense was making me skittish and lightheaded.

Superbi Squalo was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"H-Haru Miura." I managed to gasp, 'Alice Menendez' nearly leaving my lips at the muddling memories. "Pietro Aieta is my uncle." He released me then, rather quickly, and I didn't waste my time creating a few feet of space between us. I rubbed at my wrist vigorously, hoping to rub the throbbing pain away. I didn't look away from the current Varia in command, adrenaline taking in every surrounding detail.

I was nine years old, and there was an eight year difference between the KHR cast and Superbi Squalo. So, that made him seventeen at the moment, and three years since the cradle incident. His hair was fairly long, definitely longer than mine, but not at the length he had during canon. He didn't seem 182 centimeters, or 5' 11", yet, so I assumed he was still growing.

Which was an odd thought. Really.

Squalo kept one eye on me as he made to continue cutting up his shirt, and I was suddenly reminded of the lack of volume the fine silk had.

"Wait." I lifted a hand, voice low but urgent. I cringed at his sneer, his spatha glinting in the moonlight as goosebumps appeared on my skin. It was a little hard not to turn tail and run at the look he was giving me, but I guess there was a reason I was so stubborn. Both in this and my past life.

I inhaled slowly, forcing down the beating of my heart as I raised my left hand leisurely, exposing my scarf. "I think my scarf would stop the bleeding better." I managed to murmur, presenting the accessory to him.

His eyes bore into my soul, and he placed particular attention to my slightly shaking hands and labored breathing. I breathed easier whenever he followed a bead of sweat down my neck, and it was hard to imagine that this was the Superbi Squalo I had read about in my past life.

I jumped when he swiped the gift from my hands, my voice straining painfully in staying silent. I flinched when his spatha ran down the length of Okāsan's hard work, perfectly splitting the roman numeral ten down the middle. He didn't acknowledge the action, other than with a glance that resembled a glare, and quickly set to work binding his arm.

I quickly noticed him having some difficulty without his left arm present to pull at the makeshift bandages.

"Uh—Umm…" I breathed, his glare almost like a physical blow against my chest. "I can...help you with that...if you want."

Squalo's snarl could have knocked me unconscious. It was that powerful.

And I think it almost did.

Black spots appeared around the corner of my eyes.

He studied me, gray eyes degrading me much more than I would have thought possible. He suddenly closed his eyes, allowing me to breathe as he inhaled slowly before exhaling through his nose. He shrugged off his Varia cloak with surprising efficiency, letting it lay on his lap as he leaned against the brick wall, head snapping to the left and leaving his right side completely unprotected.

I almost thought it was a prank set up just for me.

I moved closer with slow movements, making sure he wouldn't suddenly attack me like a part of me believed he would.

"If you don't hurry up, I'll bleed to death." He snarled, making me jump and squeak and tremble and—

_Kamisama, you're fucking with me!_

"_H-Hai!" _I stuttered, leaping at his arm and collecting my ruined scarf with shaking fingers. _I can do this, I can do this. _I breathed out, pushing down the rolling of my stomach at the wound. _Kamisama… _My gag reflex was itching to work.

I began wrapping the injury from the base of the gash, jaw clenching each time Squalo's frown deepened. "Almost done, almost done," I murmured, movements calming my nerves and physical reactions. I finished bandaging the great Superbi Squalo with a sharp tug of my scarf, flinching at his cringe.

"Sorry." I mumbled, crawling away as he opened his eyes and righted himself. He inhaled and worked his arm, facial muscles twitching in pain. With a grunt I deemed to be satisfactory, he stood and looked down at me with a gaze not as piercing as before.

That didn't mean it still wasn't scary.

His arm suddenly lashed out, and my mind was slow in processing the action. His coat suddenly landed on my head, and the heat of it took me by surprise.

"You better get home quickly, kid. It's dangerous for a girl like you to walk around at night alone." I nearly snorted. That was ironic, coming from him. He was an assassin for goodness's sake. But the sentiment touched me. He seemed like the Superbi Squalo I admired this way.

"Your coat—"

"That bloody thing? Keep it. You better wash your face and hands. Your family'll worry."

And then he was gone.

Leaving me to my thoughts.

Stupid thoughts.

_Superbi Squalo… I just met Superbi Squalo...and I didn't even touch his hair! UGH~! _I groaned in annoyance, hanging my head in shame. _And I was so close to him too…_

The Varia cloak fell to my shoulders, and I blinked at the warmth that still recided in the leather. I straightened, hands keeping it from falling off. With eagerness that made my insides vibrate in anticipation, I shoved my arms into the sleeves, the ends falling past my hands.

"Heh-heh!" I grinned, too happy to bother about the size. _I'll grow into it. _I stood, spinning in a circle at the cloak that reached my calves.

_I'm wearing Superbi Squalo's Varia uniform! Insert fangirl squeal! _I paused. _I wonder… _I pulled back the sleeve so that my hand emerged from the fabric. I pulled the collar to my face, inhaling deeply. My senses filled with the earthy smell of herbs and wood, an undertone of something spicy tickling the back of my tongue as I was suddenly struck with the metaphor of Superbi Squalo being petrichor while I was the dry earth.

Stupid thoughts.

Stupid yet reasonable thoughts.

_Huh. _Squalo's scent… I inhaled again, a little surprised that such a smell would come from him. Then again… I breathed, feeling dots connecting this scent to an image of Superbi Squalo.

Fitting.

After that, I remember walking home with the stupidest grin on my face. And then I remember my mother screaming and my uncle and my grandfather looming over me and footsteps and yells and maids and butlers tripping over each other.

_Oh yeah. The blood._

* * *

_Pairing suggestions for Haru are open. I don't know if Eccy's willing to do the same for Kyoko, so you'll have to ask her._

_Anyways, after some debate, Eccy and I decided to split this in half. The first version was too long. So, Chapter 3 should be coming out soon!_

_Please review!_

—_Alice_

_Oi, oi, I haven't decided on a pairing for Kyoko, could go the Tsuna route, could go off track, but you'll see the possibilities later on as more characters are introduced c; _

_Alice, having written like mad and worked so hard, had made a big 'ol chapter on her half, so we decided to split it all in half; 8 pages from mine, and 15 from her 30 pages. Next chapter will start of with my half, as usual, and end with the rest of her's, then it'll go to the Daily life arc...Or it may change, depending on what we decide._

_Enjo and Review!_

_- Eccy_


	3. Recuerdos de Shinigami

_Kyoko Sasawaga_

"Kyoko, let's take a detour!" Hana grabbed her friend's hand, pulling the orange-haired girl off their normal route.

"Eh?! But Hana!" Kyoko tried to pull away but couldn't get out of her friend's strong grip.

"_Go on Kyoko, have some fun with Hana. Your mom and dad won't be home anytime soon, and big bro went to train with his friends. Don't worry, I'm here."_I urged her on, remembering the days when I used to go out with my friends. That was long ago now, about ten years ago since I was with my old buddies…

The two girls giggled as they trotted down the new path, entering the market place. Hana was a lively girl kyoko had met in her new class this year, and instantly took to Kyoko, calling her cute and sweet. Hana was that extra spice of pepper Kyoko needed in her life - aside from me - and I could already see the misadventures the two girls would have.

The dark-haired girl pulled her friend in front of a shop with golden statues in the window and old Chinese character prints.

"H-hana, I don't know…." The place didn't look too inviting to her. I found it interesting though, and was tempted to take over just to see inside. Luckily for me Hana pulled Kyoko in, the bells on the door ringing.

The inside smelt of incenses, the small burning our nose; the first thing we saw was a small shrine for Buddha, then a few small shelves of items we did not recognize. It wasn't big, but not terribly small; lining the walls was a counter of glass where even more wares were. Hana tugged us to a shelf, pulling a small square bottle from it. On it was a picture of a cross.

"Look, oils, for healing." She shoved it in Kyoko's face, who leaned back, eyes going cross-eyed. Kyoko ducked under the arm, crouching, eyes catching small statues.

"Uhhh, Hana….I wanna go home now…."

"Oh, look! books!" Kyoko was once again tugged to another shelve littered with books. The two girls crouched down as they created a pile of books - Hana looking at the cover and back, then handing it to Kyko who finally laid it in a pile beside her, not wanting to really touch it. I could understand she was afraid of the whole spiritual like place, but couldn't help being selfish. Suddenly a new book was put in her hand, and we both felt it. A pull at our heads but something that was neither of us.

The book was purple, with a black rose on it….That was not suspicious nor creepy. Neither was it scary when the back ended up having a cartoon heart on the back. We opened the book and saw weird inscriptions in it…..

"Awww, there's nothing written in it!" Hana leaned over to peek inside.

"But…."Kyoko looked curiously at her friend. there was something written….But only we could see it.

"_Play along, Kyoko, she can't see the words."_I urged her, not wanting to weird out Hana.

"Let's go pay." Kyoko stood, silently agreeing with me.

"You gonna buy that book? There's nothing it in."

"_I can draw in it" _"I can draw in it"

"Oh, okay then! I'll buy a few oils, you should get some too for your dad, isn't his back starting to hurt again? You're grandma will know how to use." Hana got up, dusting off her skirt, then going to the shelf we were at before.

"_Koe, I don't want this book." _The young girl looked troubled.

"_I do though, and you can hide it under your bed we get home." _

"_...Okay, for you, Koe-chan." _She understood I had nothing but her, I could do nothing but be her. So she pitied me, and empathized with me. She liked it when I was happy.

"Kyo, let's pay!" Hana called from the counter where man stood ready to check us out. The incense seem to gather around him as we approached, and his smile was warily…..creepy.

"I hope you found everything okay."

Me and Kyoko looked up to him, nodding slowly, "Yeah, thanks." And we never spoke of this day again. And we touched the book only occasionally. But it'd always be under the bed.

* * *

Kyoko grew….And grew….Then grew some more…. She needed me less and less, having stayed on a safe path in her life. she never got in trouble, got good grades, excelled or averaged in her classes, and actually became quite the popular girl. Her baby fat shed off her body, revealing curves and a bust, but some stayed upon on her face, combining cute with sexy some how - Japanese women were always good looking! She had even accumulated a group of even cuter friends as she went on through school.

Ryohei grew as well, shedding every bit of his baby fat until he was chiseled young man with muscles to spare. Girls swooned over him as he did his exercises, but he paid them little heed, opting to only take a break when Kyoko came to bring him food and made him cool down; there was only one girl in Ryohei's life, and she was his little sister who doted on him like a second mother.

To talk to a voice when alone, under your breath was weird. Too weird. And kyoko finally realized that and had to think hard on us; was I a true person in her head, or just a figment of her imagination?

I was becoming a hassle for her….

If I stayed, she'd be ostracized…..

So I decided to shut up for good, and merge further into her being until I could not answer her calls, and she quickly decided I was nothing more than a figment of her mind she created to help her in life. Thus, Kyoko forgot of me, of the little helper in her head, and if she ever came to think about us, she'd believe I was her imaginary friend - since that was what most people told her as a child anyways.

I watched as her life continued, happy to see her be normal and enjoy life. A sort of warmth flowed through my being, content to just live throughout Kyoko's years. It was not like anything big was going to happen anyways, I'd just sit back and watch the show….Or so I would hope...I had the feeling I knew what was about to happen in her life soon...But how could I possibly know?

* * *

**_Haru Miura_**

**Age: 10**

I waited. With patience that didn't belong to someone of my age. Physically. I stared, breathing lightly and keeping my heart rate low as the kitten slowly crawled forward, large amber eyes not leaving my face. It stretched its neck forward, pink nose sniffing at the dish near my toes.

Slowly, carefully, the tortoiseshell cat began to chew the meat, spine lifted and muscles tensed. I guessed it to be a boy; his left ear was shredded and he was missing fur from his flanks and tail. Dirt collected behind his ears and nose, the white fur around his belly and muzzle gray with grime.

I had grown up with several cats in my past life, my mother being fond of them: a reminder of her life outside the States. I was good with animals, and Miura Haru even better, something I almost hated. Because Celia had been the one with the best animal touch out of the three of us.

Gently, I raised my right hand, taking as much time as possible, doing my best not to startle the patched kitten. He flinched when my fingertips brushed the top of his head, but he was probably too hungry to care. I ran my fingers through his fur, tensing my muscles and trying not to recoil at the soil collecting under my nails.

_Kamisama, I've gotten soft…_

Just like this kitten.

Ha ha.

"Hello there." I jumped, the kitten running off and leaving behind the sound of claws against cement. I scowled, jumping to my feet and ready to tell off whoever had spoken that it had taken me a week just to get the kitten close—

My mouth went dry.

The woman smiled, and the action was like a physical blow against my chest. I felt blood rush to my cheeks, and I immediately understood why Tsuna blushed when Yuni smiled at him. _A sky's smile… is seriously powerful...desu._

_FUCK!_

"Hello, Haru-chan." Aria greeted, taking small steps that brought my attention to her swollen stomach. _Holy shit, she's _huge!

Wait.

"How do you know my name?" I croaked, clearing my throat to hide my embarrassment and prevent such a thing to happen again. _She's still pregnant with Yuni… _Wow, the thought was foreign to me.

She smiled again, and I was dizzy with happiness. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" She offered, extending her hand. The sun shone behind her, lighting her green hair and creating a halo.

_Yes. Yes I would. Very much. _"Okay." I mumbled, suddenly shy as I took the offered limb, organs vibrating in eagerness. _Oh my god~! I'm touching Aria's hand~! _And it was surprisingly calloused. Huh. Didn't expect that.

"My name's Aria." She said, blue eyes closed in a smile, "What's yours?" I blinked at the question, confused. "Miura Haru." I answered, voice low in suspicion. She had just called me 'Haru-chan'...

Her smile became sympathetic. "That isn't what I meant Haru-chan." A shiver ran up my spine at the tone in her voice. "What is your real name, Miura Haru?" My mind went blank.

What…

"I know." She said, as if sensing my bewilderment. "Here, let's sit." Huh? I blinked, realizing we had walked into the local park. Aria pulled at my hand gently, waddling towards a lone bench. I hesitated, and her smile melted me, so I sat on her right, feet hovering above the ground.

_Ugh. _This wasn't the time to complain about Miura Haru's size.

"Now…" The mafia boss sighed in content, leaning back and making herself comfortable. "Why don't you tell me your name, Haru-chan?"

She smiled again, and I became disoriented. "How much do you know?" I mumbled, trying to keep my thoughts together. _No wonder Reborn has a soft spot for these women..._

"Hm…" She contemplated, looking towards the sky as her hand absentmindedly stroked her protruding belly. "I know you died." She said, and my blood ran cold. _Don't say it out loud. Don't say it like that._ "I know you were reborn." _Hah, _I thought drily.

I licked my lips slowly, trying to think. Was it safe to respond? I glanced at the pregnant woman out of the corner of my eye, and the look she gave me made me realize I was more scared of saying it out loud than telling her. "Alice Menendez." I breathed, nostalgia hitting me to the core. _Ah… _Tears collected in my eyes. _I've never...really said my name out loud...have I? _How stupid of me.

A slender hand was placed on my head, and I felt it push me towards Aria's chest. "What a lovely name." She murmured, fingers winding through my hair.

I nearly bawled.

Yuni was going to lose such a wonderful mother.

_Oh Yuni… _"How old were you?" She breathed, warm air flittering my bangs. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in the warmth. "Sixteen." I answered, not liking the way my emotions were muddling my head. _Ah...it hurts… _There was a screw of pain drilling through the center of my forehead."So young…" She responded, sighing.

_I know… _There was a moment of silence; my tears drying and heart slowing nearly to sleep. _You never really know what you have until it's gone forever huh…?_

_Is there...a chance of me seeing them again?_

"Alice-chan." I blinked, surprised awake from my doze. She had pronounced it perfectly, no Japanese accent making it 'Arisu.' Then again, she _was_ Italian. Maybe she was speaking Japanese to make me feel more comfortable? "I would like a favor from you…"

I froze, fear creeping along my spine.

Favors weren't taken lightly in the mafia world.

She continued before I could respond. "I would like to bestow my child in your care."

My heart stopped.

"What?" I asked, pulling away. "What?" I echoed, not believing my ears. _Bestow Yuni in my care? A ten year old? Granted I was mentally twenty-six right now, but—_

She smiled sadly, the action taking my breath away. _No, don't do that. I'll do whatever you say. Just don't smile like that. Don't look at me like that._ "I know...the sky Arcobaleno is cursed with a short life, and...I know it won't make a difference but...I'm hoping...I'm hoping that someone who has transcended death before...being near my child will…" I suddenly understood where she was getting at.

And it horrified me.

She was throwing me to the wolves. By being around Yuni she probably hoped whatever it was that I had would rub off on her and give her the ability to transcend death. But...the scary thing was…

I didn't _know_ what I had or did to make such a thing possible in the first place.

"I don't think… I mean, I'm not sure such a thing—" She took my hands in such a swift movement, my heart began to pound from adrenaline. "Please," She pleaded, holding my hands in a firm grip. "Please...I'm begging you…" She brought my hands to her forehead, head bowed and shoulders shaking. "Please, as a mother...please take care of my child." _Stop it. Stop it, you sound like my mother._

_My first mother._

_No! No! I can't!_

"Please…"

_Stop it! Stop it! I'm telling you I can't! There's no way I can—_

Aria was suddenly replaced with a vision of my crying mother. And my heart broke.

_Stop… I'm trying okay! I'm doing my best! I'm trying as hard as I can! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't tell me that! Don't tell me you work your ass off while I laze around, because I _don't! _I do more than you think I do! I—_

Had I really been trying my best? Had I really done all I could?

"Okay," I breathed, wanting it to stop, _Just stop! _"I'll do it." _Don't look at me like that. Don't say that. I'll do whatever you want, just _stop!

She lifted her head, tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you," She breathed, the salty liquid slipping through my fingers. "Thank you so much, Alice-chan."

"No…" I mumbled, trembling. _Don't thank me. Don't thank me, I didn't do anything. I didn't _do _anything!_

"Alice...may I ask another favor of you?" She ran her thumbs over my knuckles, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face. She didn't have to. She looked beautiful either way. She was a beautiful crier after all.

I couldn't even muster up my usual jealousy.

"I...I don't know." I stuttered, heart hammering at the mere prospect. What now? What else would she force onto my shoulders? Even if her reasons were justified? Even if she was protecting the life inside of her?

"Come with me," She said, standing, gently pulling at my hands. "I want you with me."

'_I want you with me?' _My jaw went slack, lips silently echoing her. What—

My blood ran cold at the liquid trailing down her legs, and my heart began to pound for a different reason.

"No…" I breathed, head beginning to shake. "No, I don't think I can do this."

She laughed, seeming to find my horrified expression amusing. "Yes." She countered, flinching suddenly. "Oh, that hurt." She muttered, turning and beginning drag me behind her, my hands flittering in worry and panic and fear, because _I didn't know what to do!_

I held Aria's hand as she gave birth. And I got to name my goddaughter Yuni.

**Age: 11**

My uncle's head snapped back, long legs catching his fall. Slender hands flew to his nose, long fingers cracking the bridge straight, wide grin still visible through his knuckles. "_That's_ my Haru!" There was such pride in his voice and eyes, I didn't know whether to be happy or guilty.

"Thanks…" I mumbled, a little worried at his facial condition. _He totally let me crush his face… _Was it a good thing? Even if it _was_ for self-defense purposes…?

He was teaching me how to fight after all.

"Pietro." We both looked towards the approaching strawberry blond, a slimmer, shorter male with laden bags coming up behind him. "Seppo's here."

My uncle straightened, looking dignified even with blood drying above his lips. "Ah, Seppo, you're done I take it?"

"Would I be here otherwise?" The blond grunted, knees bending to swing the six foot tall bag onto the ground. I quickly trailed after the Aieta boss, curious and hoping that what was in that bag was what I wanted it to be.

The ash-eyed weapon dealer zipped the bag down the middle, nimble hands pulling out a scythe. He threw it into the air and caught it again, showing off it's reduced weight and quick maneuverability in one single movement.

_WAAAH~! Too cool. _My uncle sighed, "You were right. It's too big."

I tried not to pout. _Come on~! At least let me try it out! _"Even then," the smith smirked, stepping over the bag and kneeling in front of me. "_Signorina." _His smirk softened to a smile, presenting the weapon to me, and I blinked, trying to pinpoint his accent. It was undisputably attractive, "Run your thumb over the eagle's head, _per favore." _I looked away from his face, taking the slim weapon from his hands, the weight startling me. Quickly adjusting my grip, I raised my hands to the base of the blade, running my thumb along the eagle's eye, jumping as the pole retracted.

Despite the six foot pole shrinking to five feet, the three foot long blade didn't change size, and my uncle kneeled to my right, having me caged between two hot men who _leaked_ testosterone. Of course, one was my uncle, but that didn't matter at the moment. _Were there _any _ugly mean in this world?_

Even the bishounen that was my uncle's right hand man was beautiful.

"It's too conspicuous." He said, basically talking to the male over my head.

"Which is why," the craftsman started, reaching behind him, "I suggested a combat knife and greek dagger." He placed two sheathed items at his crouching feet before gently taking the scythe from my hands. "Try them out, _signorina."_

I _really _couldn't place his accent, but pushed the matter away, doing as he said. I bent at the waist and picked up the shorter weapon, wrapping my hands around the slightly too big hilt and pulled, revealing a seven inch blade with a thumb rise, top serrations, and top swage edge. It felt good in my hands, and it didn't seem too heavy. "Well?" Pietro asked, dark eyebrows raised.

"I like it." I said, sliding the glinting weapon into it's leather sheath.

"Good." Seppo grinned, looking boyish and young. How old was he anyway? Seventeen? "Let's try the dagger."

I extended my hand, and he placed the longer blade into my palm. My shoulder lurched forward at the weight, and Seppo quickly supported my hand with his, an amused look in his eyes. With a huff, I stuffed the knife into my belt, the action making the blond's eyebrows rise.

_Don't fuck with me, _I frowned. I quickly wrapped my hand around the dagger's handle and pulled, maybe a little too fast, because my uncle caught my wrist before I butted his nose again. "_Mi dispiace." _I cringed, ears hot as the arms dealer's lips twitched violently out of the corner of my eye. _Shut up._ I quickly turned my attention to the weapon in my hands, zeroing in on the leaf shaped blade. It resembled a shortsword, only in a smaller size, being around eleven inches, maybe twelve, long. It wasn't really heavy once you got used to the weight, but it worried me for a moment that the different weights would unbalance me. _It's like Bilbo's letter opener...only less elegant._

"Ah, I see what you meant." I blinked, turning my head to look into my uncle's eyes. "Yes, these will do. They're easier to conceal."

_Wait wait wait. _"Can't I use both?" I _really_ wanted that scythe. All three males stared at me, the strawberry blond who had been silent this whole time giving me the biggest look of incredulity over the smith's shoulder. "I mean…" _Ack! What do I say? How the hell do I cover this up? _"If Seppo's as good as you say, Ojisan. He could make a scythe as good as that one concealable right? Or at the very least easier to lug around..."

_What...am I _saying?

Just bullshit it.

The smith blinked at me, placing an elbow on his knee and his cheek against his fist, head tilting back as he regarded me in a provoking, yet excited, manner. "Oh? Is that a challenge I sense _Kleine?" _I blinked, mind muddled. _That isn't Italian. _Or Japanese. Or English. Or Spanish. Was it his native tongue?

My uncle laughed heartily, giving the ash-eyed blond a large clap on the back, nearly toppling him over. "I assume you'll take up the challenge, Seppo?" The brunet grinned, eyes closed in mirth.

The arms dealer nearly snarled in defence at his hurt pride. "Who do you think I am, Decimo?" He shot to his feet, snatching up my scythe and his bag. He stuffed the scythe into the sack, zipped it up, and swung it onto his shoulder, all without breaking stride towards the gate. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done." He said, not even looking back.

I watched as his red and white long sleeved shirt disappeared, surprised at his childhood eagerness at confronting a challenge. "Ne, Ojisan?"

"_Zio." _he corrected.

"Ojisan—"

"_Zio." _He insisted. I sighed, annoyed at his antics. "Fine, _Zio—" _He grinned, turning towards me, giving me his full attention, still in his crouch. "What is it, Haru?"

I avoided eye contact, heat creeping up my face. _I'm surrounded by handsome men~! Damn it, Akira Amano!_ "How old is Seppo?" It unnerved me a little, I realized. How young he was while being involved with the mafia.

"Seppo? Hm…" He cocked his head, dark strands falling into equally dark eyes. "Nineteen, I think." I choked on my spit. Nineteen?! And he was a famous arms dealer?! Pietro was impressive enough to become a boss at the young age of twenty-one, four years ago. But a renowned arms dealer being only nineteen?!

It amazed me.

_Holy shi— _And then I remembered Sawada Tsunayoshi.

And I suddenly understood just how amazing he was, and will be, to be doing everything he did, and will do, despite believing himself to be worthless.

_Kamisama… Tsuna's really unbelievable… _Amazement crept along my chest and up my neck, nearly suffocating me.

"What's with that look on your face, Haru?" the boss of the Aieta family tapped my nose, bringing me back to earth. "It's impressive, but not _that _impressive. Besides," He crossed his arms on his knees, looking at me with an admiring look, "what's _really _impressive is that he warmed up to you so quickly. Even going so far as to call you, 'little one.' In his mother tongue no less!"

_Little one? _"Ne, _Zio," _I tried to ignore the widening of his grin at the name. _Don't push it. _"What language was that?"

"Hm? Oh. That was German." He answered. _German? _"But his name…" I protested, nearly stuttering in confusion. "It isn't German is it?" It didn't sound German at the least.

"No. It's Finnish. His mother was Finnish, his father was German. His last name's Koenig, if it helps you connect the dots."

_Koenig? _Huh… That sounded familiar.

**Age: 12**

"Wait right here, Haru-chan!"

"No, wait, Shiro-kun—!" I flailed, trying to catch the back of his shirt. I cursed when I missed, freezing as he left me standing on the sidewalk, a million pairs of eyes boring into my back.

I swallowed, straightening and stuffing my hands into my pockets, shuffling in my converse. I exhaled through my nose, inhaling and channeling the energy I carried during my past life: hunching my shoulders lightly and lifting my chin, letting my eyelids lower over my eyes as I waited. I questioned what idiocy drove Ran Shiro to drag me into the 'public squalor' as someone of his status would have called it. I didn't have a problem with the slums, heck I was raised in the ghetto in my past life! What worried me was the amount of attention Shiro had attracted.

Unhealthy attention. The kind that had people staring and whispering and somehow bring forth dangerous people all too ready for entertainment. I began to lick my lips slowly, mind working quickly. Then a shiver ran up my spine.

_Fuck, we need to get out of here._

"Hey there," I forcibly swallowed a curse, glancing at the males out of the corner of my eye. Three of them, high schoolers, maybe sixteen. All of them. I pulled a hand out of my pocket to run a hand through my hair, making sure that the action masked my left hand travelling to my lower back. My fingers began running along the grip of the combat knife tucked into my belt, praying that I wouldn't have to use it. _If he dares touch me— _"You're that pretty little flower that's always following that preppie half-breed, right?"

My blood ran cold.

_What… _"Why don't you ditch the guy, and come hang with us?"

_Did he… _"Yeah, we're much better company."

_Call… _Fingers pulled at my chin, hurting my neck and quickly bringing me back. "Don't touch me," I growled, lips pulling back into a snarl. I fixed my grip on my knife and began pulling out the weapon; all too ready to—

The male suddenly went flying, and I stared at the empty air he had previously been occupying. I blinked. _Huh? _I followed the designer shoe, up a long leg of designer jeans, and other designer clothing until I met my companion's face.

"Haru-chan said not to touch her." Shiro nearly purred, smiling with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes slightly, and a shiver ran down my spine at the look in those orbs. In his arms, he held a large paper bag with mysterious contents, what I presumed he bought in the shop.

"_Kisama!" _A teenager with gray hair, the one I guessed had spoken second due to the huskiness of his voice, made his way towards Shiro in two long strides. Acting upon instinct, I pulled my combat knife out of it's sheath and kicked his feet from under him. He tilted forward, and I switched the weapon to left hand to slam the butt into his temple right as he caught himself.

He landed with a loud 'thump,' and I quickly flicked my hair out of my face, looking up at the white-haired boy. "Are you okay, Shiro?" He blinked in surprise, but didn't respond, his leg flashing above my head as the third male rolled a few feet away, clutching his abdomen in pain.

"Ne, Haru-chan, you called me Shiro." He grinned, and I sighed, nearly rolling my eyes—

"_Yariman…" _My hair stood on end. I had little room to spin, seeing as I was still crouching from knocking out the second boy, so with surprising speed, the first male (who came out of nowhere!) snatched my left wrist, spun me so quickly I fell back into his chest, and twisted my own arm around my neck so I strangled myself, his grip powerful enough to make me drop my knife behind me.

"Agah!" I grunted, spine curling to alleviate the pressure. I quickly searched for my knife around my heels, nearly choking at the arm being wrapped around my waist. _Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!_

"Give me all your money!" He demanded of my companion, saliva collecting at the corners of my lips. _Fuck no! _I opened my left eye slowly, glaring at Shiro, _daring _him to save me. There was no way in hell I was going through this fucking shit after dying and being reborn. No pun intended.

I could take care of myself.

I finally found my knife and quickly wrapped my hand around the hilt. Arching my spine further (I thanked _Kamisama _for Miura Haru's years in gymnastics), I quickly tilted to my left, brought my right shoulder forward, and struck behind me, feeling the blade sink into flesh.

The male yelled against my ear, and I rolled away, feeling a slickness of the grip against my palm as I pulled out the blade with a 'squelch.' I swiped the air between us as I spun, making sure he wouldn't come after me, and Shiro took this chance to knock out the boy with a swift kick to the jaw.

I landed on my tailbone, hands and elbows catching my fall. My chest rose and fell in quick succession and I tilted my head back, face towards the sun. _Ah...my heart's pounding… _I breathed in and out, visualizing the air's journey through my lungs. I glanced at my unconscious attacker, taking in the wound at his pelvis. "We should call an ambulance." I finally said, straightening and sitting up, right hand slipping from under me. I cursed, lifting my hand from the smear I left behind, stomach churning at the smudge of blood.

"We shouldn't." Shiro said, voice making me look at him. His back was to me, but from what little I could see of his face—well it was useless, since I couldn't decipher his expression. "He called you a whore."

"Did he?" I frowned, staring at his back as I tried to remember. "Ah, he did." I affirmed, searching for my handkerchief. "It doesn't matter. We know it isn't true. It was just a spur of the moment thing, I'm sure." _Just like Celia's pity. _I paused, having finally fished out the embroidered cloth. _Huh… when was the last time I thought, actually _thought, _about my past life…?_ I quickly pushed away the guilt. I'll contemplate that later. Not now. Not now... I raised my handkerchief, focusing my entire attention on the woven feathers. I sent a quick sorry to Okāsan before wiping my hand and weapon, making a mental note to clean it more thoroughly when I got home.

I glanced at the silent boy, beginning to worry at his lack of chatter. "Shiro-kun, look at me." I said, needing to see a familiar face. He turned slowly, reluctantly might I add. There was a strange look plastered among his features, and I didn't like how it was getting harder and harder to read him. "Shiro-kun, can you help me up?" I asked, voice softening. He shuffled towards me, shifting the paper bag to his hip to offer me his hand.

I took it, dusting myself off as soon as I was on my feet and finding a wet patch on the lower back of my leather jacket. _No… _I nearly groaned, hands moving to unzip the front of my form-fitting attire. _Does blood wash off of leather? _At least I didn't get any on my sleeves, seeing as they stopped at my elbows. I quickly patted myself down to search for more blood, and luckily found none.

_Good. These are my favorite crop pants. _"Shiro-kun, can you call the ambulance?" He frowned, but did as I requested, turning away slightly as I peeled off my leather jacket. I was left with a black and white baseball tee and gray crop pants, nostalgia hitting me when I caught sight of a blurry reflection in the shop's windows.

_Ma always did complain at my depressing color wear… Maybe I should start wearing red. _I looked good in red, especially in the past, and Miura Haru's eyes were such a light brown, wearing red would make them maroon. _I'd look like Xanxus! _But then wouldn't it make my hair reddish too?

_Ugh. Why is it so hard to be a girl?_

"Haru-chan."

"Hm?" I looked away from my reflection, watching Shiro stuff his cell phone back in his pocket. "Are you ready to go home, now?" I asked, draping my leather jacket on my left forearm.

"Why are you carrying around a hunting knife?" I cringed, _It's a combat knife. _I swallowed my correction. How do I explain the fact that it was a protection mechanism due to my involvement with the mafia?

My lips parted, but, thankfully, I was saved by the sound of sirens in the nearby area.

"I'll explain everything when we're a good distance away from here, okay?" I said hurriedly, maybe sounding a little _too_ relieved. I looked into his eyes and turned when I saw a hesitant confirmation. I wanted to run, but that would attract too much attention, so I was left with walking at a moderate pace. _Damn it._ I took one step—

—and promptly fell against the pavement.

"Ow! What the hell—?" I paused, arms trembling in the effort of keeping me up. _Huh?_ This sensation… _No way… Don't tell me…_

_Is the shock only setting in _now? I groaned, trying to stand and failing miserably. Tears of fear clouded my eyes, and my nose began to clog, my vocal cords beginning to ache at their silence. The incident just repeated through my mind, all of the possibilities of anything going wrong standing out against the sureness of everything being okay. The tears rolled down my face, and I needed to breathe! _No! No! _No! _I'm _not _crying in front of Ran Shiro! I've never cried in front of _anyone _before, I'm _not _starting now!_

A large hand wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me up and smoothly tugging me across Shiro's back. I blinked, clinging to his expensive white shirt as he stood with unsurprising elegance. I hiccuped apologies in advance for rubbing snot in between his shoulder blades, and he merely smiled at me over his shoulder.

"Don't hold back, Haru-chan." He said, possibly noticing my tense facial muscles. "I'm a man, let me show off too." _Sexist Japan, _was my immediate thought_. _I was a feminist. There was no way I was going to cry and become a girl in front of Ran Shiro just because he was a man. But if he was my friend…

I clutched the soft fabric of his shirt, pressing my cheek against the nape of his neck. After years and years, both in this life and the past, of forcing down my tears again and again, I was left with having to _force out _the salty liquid, and as I did, I found more and more things to cry about.

"S-Shiro-kun," I hiccuped, my sobs waning as I noticed something, "what h-happened to the bag?"

"Hm? Oh, that thing? I left it behind."

"H-Huh? But—"

"It's fine." He shrugged, the movement strange under my hands. "I'll just have Daichi fetch it for me." Doubtful. If anything, the old butler would have to rebuy whatever the white haired boy had purchased.

_What a waste of money… _I thought, suddenly weary after that wailing session.

"I'll buy you a new leather jacket, too." _Huh? _I straightened, looking over Shiro's shoulder and affirming the fact that he hadn't been carrying my jacket like I believed him to be. I groaned, laying my cheek against the nape of his neck again.

"You don't have to." I mumbled, too tired to think straight.

"I want to." He replied, and I grunted, not bothering to argue.

And then I tensed.

_Hey… _I suddenly became aware of the heat against me. The smooth muscles moving fluidly, the familiar scent of fresh laundry with an undertone of orchids and sugar on the back of my tongue, the easy breathing of the Ran heir despite the fact that he had been carrying me for almost forty minutes now, and all of the years I basically spent growing up with him. Yet...despite all of that… Why was I only noticing this now…?

_Since when was Shiro's back so big?_

**Age: 13**

"_So you're really okay? Are you sleeping well? Are you eating enough?"_

"_Yes!" _I stressed, getting annoyed at her repetitive banter. "I'm fine, I'm sleeping a lot, and I'm sure I gained enough weight for two people!"

There was a relieved sigh on the other end, then a pause. "_Are you sure?"_

I twitched. "Ah, Okāsan, I have to go. My shift's starting." I lied, adjusting the paper bag in my arms.

"_Ah! If you need money—"_

"No." I snapped, hanging up and stuffing the phone into my pocket. I sighed, running a hand through my hair and ruffling the dark strands to release a bit of my annoyance.

It had taken several months to convince my parents of allowing me to move out. It was common for high schoolers to do so, but since I was barely thirteen, I had to get help from my Uncle, who needed convincing himself. So, with several conversations, mainly involving Aria, we divulged Yuni's birth to him, and succeeded in gaining an ally.

I don't know how he did it, because Okāsan never followed me, and Otōsan never questioned it again.

"Obāsan~!" I called, sliding the door open and closed behind me.

"Haru-chan, is that you?" A head of silvery hair poked out of the kitchen, and I nearly grinned at how her brown eyes lit in recognition. "Ah! It is you!" She waddled towards me, wiping her hands on her apron. "How are you, dear? Is that house to your liking?"

"Very." I smiled pleasantly, eyes searching the room. "I just came to check if this month's payment has been made."

"It has," She confirmed with a nod, walking over to her desk, and flipping through some books after she had slipped on some spectacles. "Yup!" She gave a sharper nod, straightening. "It's been paid. Say, Haru-chan, why don't you stay for tea?" She proposed, after catching me eyeing the entrances and exists.

I smiled at her, trying not to look guilty but pleased at the offer. "I'd love to. But I have a list of errands to run. I'm free next Friday, if that's alright?"

She tapped at her chin, thinking, "Mmm...yes, I guess that will do." She snapped her fingers in my face, and I leaned back from the wrinkled fingers in surprise. "Why do you look like a gazelle on the run? My son isn't here today." She snapped.

"Heh-heh…" I laughed weakly, giving her a shaky smile. _Kamisama, her reflexes are sharp._ "Sorry about that, Obāsan. I'd just really like to meet this son you don't really talk much about."

She grunted, closing her books and taking off her glasses. "I don't think so." She mumbled under her breath, before raising her head and looking at me with a curious expression on her wrinkled face, "Say, Haru-chan, I bet your parents still nag you despite you moving out huh?"

_Is it that obvious? _"What gave it away?"

"Experience." She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the subject. "Anyways, if you're ever interested in running away, I know an even better property in Nagano."

"Thanks." I said, ready to leave now that my curiosity has been sated. "Well, I'll see you next Friday, Obāsan!"

"Mm. Take care!" I closed the door behind me, sighing in weariness. I glanced at the plaque near the entrance, double checking like I have for the past year that I had the right place.

_Kawahira Realtor_

I sighed again, closing my eyes and inhaling slowly before opening my eyes and trying to fight the fatigue curling around the corners of my eyes. A quick glance at the time had me hurrying back home, cursing at the trek up the mountains.

It was good for the thighs anyways.

"Tadaima!" I called, slipping off my shoes and dropping my keys in the bowl by the door. I lifted my head upon hearing small steps running down the stairs, and was promptly greeted with—

"Okaeri!" I grunted as Yuni wrapped her arms around my waist, sending me a grin that made me do the same. "Hey, have you eaten yet?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder now and again as Yuni followed me like a duckling.

She shook her head. "I wanted to wait for _Madrina!" _An arrow pierced my heart. _Kamisama, Yuni will be the death of me, _I thought, trying to dispel the stars behind my eyes at the smile she sent me.

"Okay, okay, _ayudame en la cocina_, _Mami." Help me in the kitchen, honey. _I said, pulling out a hair tie from my pocket as I placed the groceries on the counter. _Funny how I've given Yuni the same term of endearment my mother gave me… Maybe I'll use _Mi Vida _next… _That one had been Celia's.

Yuni paused to scoop up Jim as I pulled my hair up in a ponytail similar to how the original Miura Haru would have done. I only really did this when studying or working, it was habit I couldn't discern to be good or bad. "Okay!" She grinned, purring-but-tail-twitching cat cuddled to her chest and looking absolutely heavenly with the light from the windows lighting up her hair.

I turned before she could see the the blush of frustration on my face. _Calm down, calm down, don't want to scare her. Don't want to smother her in my affection and scar her for life. _One more week. One more week.

Aria was currently on a business trip in France, and she had dropped off Yuni for some godmother-daughter bonding time. It was especially because of these moments why I had moved out in the first place. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was twenty-nine years old mentally and constricted in a thirteen year old body.

Where I had to go through puberty _**again.**_

_Not._

_Pleasant._

Anyways, despite the fact Yuni could cause my mental state go haywire, I was a little sad we couldn't spend more time together.

I love her.

Which, I hated to admit, was dangerous.

And. As proof,

That night, I woke up with a start.

I sat up slowly and felt for the knife under my pillow, heart pounding in dread. Please _let this be a false alarm. _Please _let this be a false alarm._

A shadow raced past my window, _Damn,_ and a clear thought of, _Yuni, _had me sprinting into the night air and tackling the assassin from behind, disrupting the gloved fingers working at the latch to Yuni's window pane.

_Go for the kill, Haru._

The shingles jarred my knees and I quickly slammed my fist in the male's face. _Disorient him. _A satisfying crunch emitted from my blow, and stars erupted in my eyes when the heel of his palm slammed against my temple.

_Get away. Get away. Get away._

I rolled away, the action only worsening the nausea caused by his hit. _Fuck, _he _disoriented _me. He sat up, and my fingers fumbled for my knife just as he pulled out a dagger, _Come on! Come on! Work with me!_

I cursed at the lack of hesitation in his movements, he was attacking a thirteen year old girl for Christ's sake! Then again... I managed to pull out the damn weapon but had it kicked out of my hands, a quick adjustment of the hip sending the heel of his boot slamming against my cheek.

"Gahck!" My vision went black for a moment, my movements sluggish. A gloved hand clutched my throat, a push smashing the back of my head against the tiles. "Agh!" My hands instinctively flew to the leather, fingers desperately trying to dig into flesh. _Get off! Get off! Get off! GET OFF!_

He raised the weapon, point glinting in the moonlight, aiming for my left eye.

_Point! Point! Dodge!_

I did so, clumsily. The blade managing to cut my left cheek and extending further into my scalp, possibly even sawing off a section of my hair. _Get away! Get away! _Curling, I succeeded in digging my heels into his diaphragm, throwing him off of me, and giving me room to breathe.

Gasping, I crawled a few feet away, mind racing and heart pounding. _Weapon! Weapon! _He was getting up, and I skinned my elbows and knees diving for the dagger. I scrambled to my feet, shadow looming over me.

_Always go for the kill, Haru._

I swung out my arm with a yell, momentum canceling out the resistance of cutting flesh. I stood there, gasping and tense as the assassin slowly clutched his throat. A look of surprise slowly settled on his face, before he smiled slightly, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Or tried to. At least.

Blood squirted out of the wound, making me take several steps back in disgust. He staggered, lean body tilting. _Fall. Second story. Body. _I quickly shot forward, knees nearly buckling at the sudden weight onto my front. Legs trembling, I tried to place him on the roof as gently as I could, but my arms gave out and he landed with a thump.

"Sorry," I breathed, catching my breath before leaning back. I lifted my right hand and curled my bruised fingers. They wouldn't flatten all the way. It's going to be hard using it for the next few days. I paused when he didn't respond, and blinked at the emptiness of his eyes. Then I realized—

_Ah...he's dead… _And I didn't feel anything. _My first kill..._

And I didn't shake. I didn't tremble. I didn't cry.

There wasn't a reason to. I had killed him out of survival. It had been necessary. I didn't—don't regret it.

If I felt anything, it was acceptance as I inhaled deeply.

If I felt anything, it was respect for the dead as I closed his eyes.

If I felt anything, it was unhappiness at it having to be _me _to kill him as I exhaled.

If I felt anything, it was nausea at the gaping wound staring at me when I opened my eyes.

"Uck!" I spun and threw up over the roof's edge, dreading the morning where I'd have to clean that from the grass. The image burned into my mind, again and again and again, until I nearly laughed at the irony.

It wasn't killing that got me. It was the _gore._

"What kind of sick person am I to not be bothered by killing but by the _gore?"_ I hissed under my breath, gagging as the image returned. I leaned back and craned my neck to stare at the sky, at a loss, listening to the soft wing.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I muttered, frowning. _There's a corpse behind me, _I realized with a shiver, _and it's only a little more than a meter away from Yuni's window—_

My heart stopped.

_Holy shit, there's a corpse outside of Yuni's window._

It took a while, but after contacting my personal guard and having them rid the body, "Give him a grave," and letting them go due to lack of performance, I managed to clean up and wrap my wounds at four o'clock in the morning.

I was nearly attacked by Jim when I entered Yuni's room. It was only after a few minutes of cooing and stroking his tattered ears with murmurs of, "Thank you for protecting Yuni," while kissing the top of his head, that he relax and took vigil at the window.

I sighed in weariness, and crawled into Yuni's bed, relishing at the warmth the covers provided. I wiggled closer to the four year old, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her closer to me. I breathed into her hair, feeling the soreness of my muscles relax.

_She's okay...she's okay… _I was never more relieved in my life.

"Mmm..._Madrina?" _Yuni mumbled, seeming to have a hard time opening her eyes.

"Shh. Go back to sleep." I whispered, adjusting our positions and stroking her temple with my thumb.

"You'll be here when I wake up, right?" I blinked, surprised and confused at her words.

"Yes." I answered honestly, closing my eyes and hating how my wounds itched. "_Duermete, Mami. _I'll be here when you wake up."

"Mmm…" She cuddled closer to me, exhaling against my shoulder. I listened as she slept, and I grew more and more annoyed as I lay there and Hypnos, god of sleep, refused to bless me with his gift.

I didn't sleep that night. And it took Yuni leaving, school starting again, several conversations with Ran Shiro, three other killings, and the resuming of my old schedule involving jogging in the morning and cleaning up in my parents' house before making my way to school from there, for life to at least seem "normal."

Weeks after my first kill, a baby with a fedora began walking along the fence my old bathroom window faced each time I exited the shower.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Every single time.

Perfectly.

* * *

_Here comes the Daily Life Arc~!_

_Poor Eccy has to put up with all of my changes and second guessing. Please say 'Thank you' to her, guys. She's not as bad as I make her out to be._

_Heh heh._

_Please review~! Makes the chapters come faster!_

—_Alice_

_Chapter 2 was split, as I said before, and this is the last half. Next time is the Daily Life Arc, which is in the works and to be done soon - we're also mostly following the manga, doubtful we'll put any of the filler episodes or content._

_Can you guys spot the difference between Anna and Alice's experience? It'll become clear next chapter!_

_~Eccy_


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